Egyptian scored four goals in the tournament but failed to turn his international fortunes around
Former Liverpool teammates Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah faced off in the Africa Cup of Nations semi-final on Wednesday with Senegal and Egypt respectively, and it was Mane’s goal with 12 minutes remaining on the clock that robbed Salah one more, and perhaps the last chance, of winning an international trophy with Egypt.
A turgid affair saw Egypt sit deep for the most part, and both sides struggled to create chances, descending into a flurry of tackles, fouls and aggressive play. On minute 78 a deflected ball fell to Mane and the current Al-Nassr man collected and sent a low shot past goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy.
It felt like a repeat of the 2021 Afcon final, when Mane also scored, with the decisive penalty in a shootout, to deny Salah his chance of winning a trophy with his country.
Egypt’s ultra-defensive setup on Wednesday night, which saw them with only 37 per cent of the ball, managing just over 200 passes and only one shot on goal, left Salah with very little potential to do anything. The Egyptian returns to Liverpool having scored four goals in the tournament but failed to end his barren run at the international level.
