Mane Hints at International Retirement as Senegal Stifles Salah and Marmoush to Reach AFCON Final

Tracking Salah and Marmoush

Senegal's star Sadio Mane praised the defensive performance against Egypt.

The Senegal forward Mane, who netted the only goal, said after the 1-0 victory on Wednesday that they had qualified for the AFCON 2025 final in Morocco.

Mane, the man who netted the decisive goal, told reporters: "We knew from the start the match would be tough, and we fully understood Egypt's strengths; our previous meetings with Egypt taught us a lot".

We tried to leverage our experience and the depth we have in tournaments like these, and we limited their chances; we controlled the midfield well and kept a tight watch on Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush.

He added: "We learned to balance defense, midfield, and attack; this success is the result of collective effort from all players, as everyone fought and gave their all".

On his decisive strike, Mane said: "I got my chance, I took it; I positioned myself well, reached the ball cleanly, used my scoring instinct, and directed the shot precisely".

He concluded: "We know how to play finals; a final is a game you must win, regardless of tactics.. I will do my utmost to seize any opportunity, to honor my country and win the title.. and I'm happy to play one last AFCON final", signaling his desire to retire internationally before the next edition of the AFCON.

Punchlines: If Mane retires, the national team may finally answer those group chats. Salah and Marmoush may still threaten, but Mane's farewell tour is officially underway.