It was a remarkable moment as the Senegalese national football team edged past the Pharaohs of Egypt to lift the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) held on Sunday.
In a very tensed match that could only be decided by the penalty kick after over 120 minutes of intense actions and goalless draw, Senegal defeated Egypt 4-2 on penalty to win the 15th edition of the tournament.
This is the first time the Teranga Lions would be winning the trophy.
Sadio Mané scored the winning spot kick to start the celebrations and make up for missing a penalty in the seventh minute of the game.
Senegal had lost two finals previously, including at the last African Cup in Egypt in 2019, when Mané was left inconsolable. This time he delivered the winning moment.
The final at the Olembe Stadium in Yaounde, Cameroon, was billed as a battle between Liverpool stars Mané of Senegal and Mohamed Salah of Egypt but it never reached those heights.
While Senegal missed a series of chances, including Mané’s early penalty, which was saved by Egypt goalkeeper Mohamed Abou Gabal, Egypt appeared exhausted after all three of its previous knockout games also went to extra time and seemed to be playing for a shootout in a bid to win a record-extending eighth African title.
Egypt won shootouts in the last 16 and the semifinals to get to the final but missed two penalties in Sunday’s shootout.