Mane's Mic Drop: Egypt Are Africa's Finest — Salah's Moment Sparks Online Buzz

Mane's Praise for Egypt and a Light-Hearted Jab at Salah

Senegal's Sadio Mane, the star who plies his trade with Al Nassr, hailed Egypt's strength after the Africa Cup of Nations semifinal on Wednesday night. Mane scored the decisive goal in the 78th minute to eliminate the Pharaohs and send Senegal to the final in Morocco.

He struck the game's only goal with a sharp, surprising shot, sealing Senegal's progression to the AFCON 2025 final. In the post-match press conference, Mane said: "We salute Egypt, and as I always say, they are the best team in the history of Africa, and today they proved it again."

"It wasn't easy for us, and we expected that, because in AFCON you have to suffer, but we kept our patience against these great players."

Then, with a smile, he added: "Especially Mohamed Salah, one of the best players in the world, who always gives his best for the team, but today it's unfortunate for him—part of football."

His laugh about Salah sparked debate on social media; some called it spontaneous, others saw mockery of the Egyptian star.

Historically, Salah and Mane formed a fearsome attacking duo at Liverpool since 2017, winning countless trophies under Jurgen Klopp before the Senegalese star moved to Bayern Munich in 2022.

Mané and his teammates had previously won AFCON 2021 after beating Egypt in the final on penalties, a shootout that also kept Salah from participating in the 2022 World Cup. Senegal now faces Morocco in the AFCON final on Sunday, while Egypt and Nigeria meet for third place on Saturday.

Note that Senegal will host Morocco in the AFCON final on Sunday, with Egypt and Nigeria contesting third place on Saturday.