Dueling Forces: Salah Sparks Egypt to AFCON Semis as Mane's Numbers Spark a Beating of the Odds
11 January 2026
Salah's influence carries Egypt to the semis
Mohamed Salah continued to cement his status as AFCON's most decisive player, delivering the assist for Egypt's second goal and then adding the third himself as the Pharaohs beat Ivory Coast 3-2 in the Morocco 2025 quarterfinal.
Numbers tell the tale: Mane vs Salah in AFCON since 2017
According to the French outlet Stats Foot, no one has matched Salah's goal involvements in AFCON since 2017, apart from his former Liverpool teammate Sadio Mane, who has 19 contributions (10 goals, 9 assists) compared with Salah's 16 (11 goals, 5 assists).
Mane captained Senegal to the AFCON title in 2021 against Egypt on penalties, while Salah has reached the final twice (2017) but remains without the trophy.
Egypt's victory over the holders Ivory Coast keeps them alive and sets up a semifinal against Senegal on Wednesday.
Salah's display left a mark on this AFCON edition, and Egypt now head to a semi-final against Senegal, with Mane waiting in the other dugout.
Punchline 1: Salah shoots so on target that even the net filed a restraining order against him.
Punchline 2: Mane's timing is so sharp that the clock started counting his assists before the whistle blew.
