Salah and Mané to star in Egypt v Senegal African Cup final
The controversial Africa Cup of Nations already has two finalists after great sporting and extra-sporting disappointments with the deaths caused by the Yaoundé avalanche as the great tragedy of the tournament.
Without Morocco, the clear favourites, and without Cameroon, who are experiencing a major disappointment as hosts of the tournament, it will be Egypt and Senegal who will play for the top African national team trophy.
The main protagonists of the final to be played at the stadium in the Cameroonian capital will be Mohamed Salah for Egypt and Sadio Mané for Senegal. The two Liverpool players will contest a very special final for their national teams before playing the most important part of the season with their team.
Egypt are seeking their eighth Africa Cup of Nations title. They won it in the first edition in 1957; in 1986 against Cameroon; in 1998 against South Africa and in 2006, 2008 and 2010 against Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon and Ghana respectively.
Mohamed Salah is facing his first opportunity to lift the title with his national team because his appearances began in 2011. The Liverpool Pharaoh's play in the competition leaves many doubts about his fitness upon his return. He has played every game and every minute with a tally of two goals, including a crucial one against Morocco.
To the 270 minutes of the group stage must be added three extra-time periods in the last 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals, a further 360 minutes. A total of 630 minutes, which further clarifies the request of their assistant coach after the match, "Senegal have one more day to recover. I hope that, as the match for third place has been moved from Sunday to Saturday, we will play on Monday". The words of Diaa Al Sayed, Egypt's assistant coach, would have had more force had they been uttered by Carlos Queiroz, Egypt's former coach who was, among other things, coach of Real Madrid.
There is a curious fact about Queiroz Carlos Queiroz because with Egypt he can be crowned champion of Africa, the continent of his birth as he is a native of Nampula in Mozambique. He is a former Under-20 World Cup winner with Portugal, runner-up in an Asian club tournament with Nagoya, a European champion with Alex Ferguson at Manchester United and a two-time World Cup winner with Iran.
Senegal is experiencing a process of leadership in its national team thanks to Sadio Mané (Liverpool), Koulibaly (Napoli), Mendy (Chelsea) and Gueye (PSG). Players who perform at the highest level in competitions and who their national teams benefit from.
For the final, Mané will be more rested. He played all 270 minutes of the group stage, but the crossings were more benevolent. 70 minutes and a goal against Cape Verde; and 90 minutes against Senegal and Burkina Faso. A total of 520 minutes, 110 more than Salah.
Both players are regulars in Klopp's line-ups and key players for the Champions League last 16 against Inter Milan and to maintain European places in the Premier League.
Senegal-Egypt on Sunday at 20:00 at the Paul Biyá stadium in Yaoundé (Cameroon) will crown two great players and two teams that want to reign in Africa. After that, Europe's complaints will come with a view to the next CAN in 2023, which will be played in Côte d'Ivoire.