For Mohamed Salah, it was a familiar feeling of anguish on the international stage.
The Liverpool forward looked on in dismay and disbelief as the referee’s whistle sounded at the Grand Stade de Tangier on Wednesday night and consigned Egypt to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Senegal in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations semi-final.
In a stale and largely uneventful affair in Morocco, it was Sadio Mane’s thumping effort 12 minutes from time that was enough to secure Senegal’s place in Sunday’s final. This was not in the script for Salah nor Egypt, who arrived in Morocco last month openly targeting a first Afcon title since 2010.
Speaking to BBC World Service after the game, Mane said of his former Liverpool team-mate: “It is not easy for him, but still best of luck. He did everything to carry his team until now. Unfortunately, one of us had to [lose]. I’m happy [to be] in the final.”
For Salah, the sight of Mane – with whom he reportedly had an indifferent relationship at Anfield – soaking up glory on the international stage, while he suffered hurt, has been one that has become all too familiar in recent years.
In the 2021 Afcon final, Mane – still at Liverpool with Salah – scored the decisive spot-kick to upset Egypt and clinch his nation’s maiden title.
A couple of months later, when the two sides met in a two-legged tie for a place at the 2022 World Cup, it was Mane again who converted the winning penalty in the shootout to seal his side’s place at the Qatar showpiece after Salah had blazed his effort over the bar.
Now, nearly four years on, this dispiriting loss – after a timid and uninspiring performance from his side in the last-four tie – will cut just as deep for Salah.
