Salah and Mane Face Off in AFCON Semi-Final

ISLAMABAD: (Web Desk) -Three years after their last appearance together, former Liverpool teammates Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah will face each other on Wednesday as Senegal and Egypt clash in the Africa Cup of Nations semi-final in Tangiers, Morocco.

The pair last shared a pitch during Liverpool’s 2022 Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid. Shortly after, Mane left for Bayern Munich before moving to Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, while Salah remains at Liverpool despite limited playing time under coach Arne Slot.

Both stars have a point to prove: Mane, already an AFCON winner, looks to lead Senegal to their third final in four editions, while Salah is chasing the first continental title of his career after two previous final heartbreaks in 2017 and 2022. In both prior encounters with Senegal, penalties decided the outcome, with Mane scoring decisive kicks and Salah missing crucial opportunities.

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The semi-final brings an emotional reunion and intense rivalry. “Nobody, even in Egypt, wants to win this trophy more than me,” Salah said after Egypt’s quarter-final victory over Ivory Coast. Mane, meanwhile, admits that pressure played a role in past performances, but with AFCON success already under his belt, he feels more composed this time.

Together at Liverpool from 2017 to 2022, Salah and Mane formed a formidable attacking trio with Roberto Firmino, winning the 2019 Champions League and 2020 Premier League. Despite their success, Mane recently admitted that on-field tensions occasionally arose: “Sometimes he would pass me the ball and sometimes he wouldn’t… Only Bobby (Firmino) was there to share the balls.”

Now on opposite sides, the two African footballers of the year aim to guide their nations to glory once again, with history and pride on the line.