YAOUNDE: Sadio Mane finally delivered a first African Cup for Senegal, and Liverpool team-mate Mohamed Salah could do nothing about it but stand and watch.

Mane drilled the decisive penalty in a shootout into the bottom left corner to beat Salah and Egypt in Sunday’s final in Yaounde and make up for missing a penalty early in the game.

Senegal won the shootout 4-2 after it ended 0-0 after extra time. Salah, who was supposed to be his team’s final penalty taker, didn’t get a say in the shootout after two of his team-mates missed.

Senegal had lost two finals previously, including against Algeria at the last African Cup of Nations in Egypt in 2019, when Mane was left inconsolable.

This time Mane provided the winning moment. He raced off to joyously celebrate with teammates but also returned to spend some time consoling Salah, who was in tears.

“We are proud,” said Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, who was also crucial to the cause by saving a penalty in the shootout. “We never won before. We worked really hard to win this trophy and today we won as a group, as a country.”

Egypt had their goalkeeper Mohamed Abou Gabal to thank for getting them into the shootout at the Stade d’Olembe as he was outstanding in keeping Senegal at bay in what was the fourth time in as many games they had played extra time in energy-sapping conditions.

There may be some poetic justice for Senegal coach Aliou Cisse, who was captain of the side in 2002 when they lost the final on penalties to Cameroon after a goalless draw, having missed his kick in the shootout.

“It just shows that if you work hard, if you persevere, you will get what you want,” Cisse told broadcaster beIN Sports. “I am very emotional because the people of Senegal have wanted this trophy for 60 years.”

Abou Gabal, who was named man of the match, summed up the Egyptian mood, saying: “We are really disappointed but that’s football, either you win or you lose.”

Published in Dawn, February 8th, 2022