Liverpool Skippers Set to Trash Their Rivalry At Afcon Finals

Egyptian talisman Mohamed Salah will face Liverpool teammate Sadio Mane in the final of this year’s Africa Cup of Nations after Egypt defeated Cameroon in the last-four match on Thursday evening. On Sunday, the Pharaohs will meet Senegal in a match that will pit two of the Premier League’s top wingers against each other for continental supremacy.

Senegal pushed aside Burkina Faso in their semi-final meeting on Wednesday, and Mane secured his place in the final with a goal and an assist.

It remains to be known whether he will triumph over Salah and Egypt, who needed extra time and penalties to win a thrilling match against the tournament hosts.

Salah struggled to get into the game in the first half, as Cameroon dominated the game from the start.

In the early parts of the encounter, the Indomitable Lions took advantage of the loud environment produced by the partisan home crowd and began to pose questions to the Egyptian defense.
They came close after only 17 minutes as Vincent Aboubakar’s headed effort from close range hit the woodwork.

Cameroon was unable to break the deadlock before the halftime break, as Michael Ngadeu and Toko Ekambi both wasted chances to give his team an early lead.

Egypt had little choice but to ramp up their attacks after the break if they were to change the trend in their favor as the second half progressed.

They were, however, frequently unable to maintain possession of the ball for long enough, leaving Salah alone in his role as the team’s main attacking outlet.

With a trickling attempt from just beyond the box, the Liverpool ace registered his first shot on target just before the hour mark, but was unable to trouble Andre Onana in goal.

After being given possession on the outskirts of the area, he was stopped once more by the Cameroon goalkeeper as he bore down on goal.

As the clock ticked down, tensions began to rise, with Egypt coach Carlos Queiroz receiving a red card on the touchline in the last minutes of normal time.

However, neither team was able to find the elusive winning goal before the full-time whistle, and the game was subsequently decided by penalties.

Salah, on the other hand, did not get the chance to take a penalty, as Cameroon had two attempts saved before missing the decisive penalty that sent Egypt into Sunday’s crucial final.