After just four minutes, Senegal had the opportunity for a dream start, after the referee pointed to the spot after a foul on Saliou Ciss. Mo Salah whispered some ‘secret’ information to his goalkeeper and it turned out not to be a bad idea. Egyptian keeper Gabaski saved Mane’s penalty.
After that we had to wait for more spectacle, but that didn’t happen for a long time. Senegal was the better team, but Mané and co. not to come again.
Also in the second company, both teams failed to score, so extra time had to be played in Cameroon. But even after another half hour of play, the glasses position was still on the scoreboard. And so the final had a blood-curdling end: a penalty shoot-out.
With a bottle full of ‘indications’, Gabaski took his place under the bar. The Egypt goalkeeper’s water bottle featured the favorite corners of the Senegal penalty takers. Coincidence or not, the goalie chose the right angle on the first three penalties and that resulted in a save on the third knock. But in the meantime Egypt had already missed a penalty and not much later the Egyptians missed another.
Mané was given the opportunity to more than make up for his mistake from earlier in the evening. The tension could be read on his face, but now he didn’t fail from eleven yards. He shot flawlessly and ensured a historic Africa Cup victory for Senegal.