The Senegal star has opened up on his penalty miss in the AFCON final.
Sadio Mane missed a penalty in the opening minutes of Senegal’s clash against Egypt in the Africa Cup of Nations final. The Liverpool star eventually salvaged his night by scoring his side’s tournament-winning penalty in the final shoot-outs.
However, the mystery surrounding his conversation with Mohamed Salah right before taking the first penalty has kept fans guessing. The Senegal star has now revealed what he told his Liverpool teammate before his blocked shot.
Speaking to Que Golazo YouTube channel, Mane said: “He [Salah] said: ‘why did you come to see the goalkeeper?’ and I said ‘no because you’ve been talking to him and I’m sure you will play mind games, so I will play mind games as well’.
“I saw him talking and I’m sure he was not saying anything much so he was just trying to play mind games and I want to be more fun than them, so I go ‘Mo, I will put it in the right side, tell him I will put it in the right side’.
“We were talking about this yesterday and laughing about it, it was quite funny.”
Salah’s golden chance for revenge!
With the help of Mane’s great contribution to their team, Senegal won their first-ever AFCON title. The Liverpool forward won the AFCON’s Man of Tournament award.
Egypt and Senegal will face again next month as they battle it out for a place in the next summer’s World Cup.
Asked about the qualifier, Mane responded: “Me and Mo Salah don’t even talk about it [World Cup qualifiers games]. I think that I’m still thinking about my African Cup, but it’s also an important game that means a lot to me and my people,
“If we can qualify – and we will do everything to do it – it’s very important for me, my teammates, and my country because it’s a really, really massive competition, which is a dream for any football player.
“We will be well prepared for it and do everything possible to win because it’s really important.”
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