YAOUNDE, Cameroon – Senegal erupted in celebration Sunday night after its soccer team overcame Egypt to win the Africa Cup of Nations, giving the West African country its first tournament win after decades of heartbreaking near misses.
Cheers, car horns and fireworks greeted the final whistle in the seaside capital Dakar after a hard-won victory in a penalty shootout that in an instant erased Senegal’s reputation as one of Africa’s underachieving footballing nations.
Thousands took to the streets. People waved flags from the sunroofs of speeding cars. Onlookers hugged and cried. Dozens ran onto a beach in a northern suburb, screaming to the night sky.
Senegal’s President Macky Sall declared on Monday a public holiday to celebrate the national football team’s first ever African Cup of Nations crown, public television announced according to AFP.
Sadio Mane made up for missing from the spot in normal time to score the decisive penalty as Senegal overcame Egypt 4-2 in a shoot-out to win their first Africa Cup of Nations title after Sunday’s final finished goalless at the end of extra time.
Senegal had lost two finals previously, including against Algeria at the last African Cup of Nations in Egypt in 2019, when Mané was left inconsolable.
Mane had seen Mohamed Abou Gabal, nicknamed Gabaski, save his seventh-minute penalty at the Olembe Stadium in Yaounde but Egypt could not capitalise as they went to extra time for the fourth consecutive game at this Cup of Nations.
Mohamed Salah was due to step up to take Egypt’s fifth penalty but with Mohamed Abdelmonem hitting the post and Mohanad Lasheen having his kick saved by Edouard Mendy, the Liverpool star did not get his chance and was already on the verge of tears as his club team-mate Mane prepared to strike the decisive blow.
After two previous final defeats, Senegal is Cup of Nations winners at last, while Egypt missed out on a record-extending eighth continental crown that would also have been a first for Salah.
“It just shows that if you work hard, if you persevere, you will get what you want,” Senegal coach Aliou Cisse told broadcaster beIN Sports.
“I am very emotional because the people of Senegal have wanted this trophy for 60 years.”
Abou Gabal, who was named man of the match, summed up the Egyptian mood, saying: “We are really disappointed but that’s football, either you win or you lose.”
All three of Egypt’s knockout games before the final also went to extra time, and two of them to penalties, and they seemed to be playing for another shootout in a bid to win a record-extending eighth African title.
Egypt won those shootouts in the last 16 and the semifinals without missing to get to the final, but failed with two penalties in Sunday’s shootout.
Defender Abdelmonem completed his miserable final with Egypt’s first miss, with his penalty cannoning off the post. Senegal’s Bouna Sarr had the next penalty saved by Abou Gabal.
But Mohanad Lasheen had Egypt´s fourth penalty saved by Mendy, leaving Mane to win it and Salah to drop his head and start wiping away tears with his shirt.
Salah has now lost two African Cup finals after Egypt couldn´t hold onto a 1-0 lead and lost 2-1 to Cameroon in 2017.
Mane had said before the tournament that he would give up everything he’s won at club level to lift an African Cup with Senegal. He was so eager to get his hands on the trophy that he had to be ushered away from it when players were being given their medals.
