Senegal chase first AFCON title as The Pharaohs mount opposition
Egypt proved their mettle again that they aren’t just the most successful team in Africa on paper as they shook off a disappointing start at AFCON 2021 to make their way to the finals.
The Pharaohs, who lost 1-0 to Nigeria in their AFCON 2021 opener, beat host Cameroon 3-1 on penalties on Thursday night in front of 24,371 fans in the 60,000-seat venue to qualify for their 10th AFCON final and second in the last three editions of the tournament.
They have injured Mohamed Abou Gabal to thank for his heroic performance as he saved two penalties in a dramatic shoot-out.
The seven-time champions will face Senegal, who beat Burkina Faso 3-1 in the other semi-final, in Yaounde on Sunday. African streaming service, Showmax, is streaming the game live and in HD, courtesy of SuperSport.
There’s a lot at stake; the Senegalese are chasing their first AFCON title in history as they face an Egyptian side bidding for a record eighth African crown. Senegal’s most successful outing at AFCON was finishing second twice, at the last edition in 2019 and 2002 in Mali. This time, they’ll be looking forward to breaking the jinx of finishing second.
Sadio Mane may be on his way to making history as the player to captain Senegal to their first AFCON title, while Mo Salah will be looking forward to winning the eighth title for the Pharaohs.
Will Salah be the stumbling block to Mane’s dream of leading the Lions of Teranga to their first AFCON title, or will the Pharaohs let them go? Is Mane going to pause the Pharaohs’ anticipated victory dance from a record eighth AFCON title? We’ll find out on Sunday if Egypt’s assistant coach Diaa al-Sayed’s request for a reschedule of the match to Monday is not granted by CAF.
The Sunday encounter is a game many football fans across the continent and beyond will be looking forward to. Some pundits have tagged it the battle of the Reds, while some said it is the battle of frenemies.
For Nigerian football fans, being far away from the TV has no longer been a barrier to enjoying the best of football action since Showmax Pro started streaming live sports games. Sunday’s game at Yaounde will not be an exception. The match will be streamed live on Showmax Pro, courtesy of SuperSport
