Soccer
Sadio Mane tormented Egypt again as Senegal booked their place in Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations final with a deserved 1-0 victory over the Pharaohs.
Mane, who decided penalty shoot-outs against Egypt in both the AFCON final and a World Cup qualification play-off in 2022, beat Mohamed El Shenawy with a sweet strike to decide a cagey affair in Tangier.
Egypt did not attempt a shot until Mostafa Mohamed’s wayward attempt in the 84th minute, with Hossam Hassan’s plan to have his side sit deep and play on the break coming up short.
Senegal received a blow midway through the first half when their captain Kalidou Koulibaly limped off injured, though he had already received a yellow card that will rule him out of Sunday’s final against Morocco or Nigeria, having scythed down Omar Marmoush.
Mohamed Salah cut an isolated figure up front for Egypt, though Senegal were also lacklustre in the final third until their captain’s former Liverpool team-mate Mane made the breakthrough in the 78th minute.
Lamine Camara’s speculative attempt deflected into Mane’s path, and his half-volley sent the ball skipping along the turf and in from just outside the area.
Pape Gueye fired high and wide from a promising position shortly afterwards, though Senegal did not need a second goal as Egypt failed to muster any sustained threat, with their only half-chance seeing Marmoush fire straight at Edouard Mendy from distance.
Data Debrief: Egypt offer little as Senegal reach another showpiece
Senegal have now reached the final at three of the last four editions of AFCON, having won the 2022 tournament after finishing as runners-up to Algeria in 2019.
Wednesday’s semi-final always looked likely to be a game of slim margins, and there have only been seven goals scored in the six meetings between Senegal and Egypt at AFCON (1.17 per game).
Among all fixtures to be played at least five times in the tournament’s history, only Cameroon versus Ghana (1.0) has a lower goals-per-game ratio.
Senegal were mostly limited to ambitious efforts from range, with their 12 shots totalling just 0.32 expected goals (xG), though Egypt only managed three shots and 0.12 xG.
Salah did not have a single shot or create a chance for a team-mate, while he only managed 30 touches and attempted 12 passes, completing nine.
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