Senegal superstar Sadio Mane hailed Mohamed Salah as one of the best players in the world after they eliminated his Egypt side in the semi-finals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Mane, 33, netted the only goal of the game as the Teranga Lions compounded further misery on the record seven-time African champions, who they beat on penalties in the 2021 edition to win their first-ever title and a few months later in the World Cup playoffs for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
It marks a three-peat for Mane over his former Liverpool teammate that he formed a devastating attacking trio alongside Roberto Firmino at Liverpool under Jürgen Klopp.
“Egypt for me is the best-ever team in Africa and they showed it. And wow, what a team, it was not an easy game for us. We expected that because it’s AFCON, but we were patient,” he said in his Man of the Match post-match press conference
“We faced great players, especially Mo Salah, one of the best players in the world who gives his best to his team, but unfortunately they lost but this is part of football.”
Senegal are now in their third final in the last-four editions and take on hosts Morocco in the final on Sunday at the Prince Moulay Abdallah Stadium (21h00).