Africa Cup of Nations 2021: Senegal and Egypt in Final Countdown

Senegal vs Egypt

Finally we’re here, after a month of pulsating football in sweltering temperatures we’ve made the Africa Cup of Nations 2021 final where Senegal and Egypt are set to do battle.

The AFCON 2022 betting odds make the star studded Senegal favourites to win their first title, but underdogs Egypt have done it all before and are seeking a record eighth AFCON title. And with Liverpool’s Sadio Mane and Mo Salah set to face off, it all adds up to a fascinating contest. Senegal last reached the final in 2019, losing to Algeria and with the highest FIFA ranking in the competition and a team boasting players from Europe’s top teams they will have high hopes of going one further.

We’ll know which nation will be celebrating and which will be shrouded by disappointment by the end of the weekend, but in the meantime let’s take a look at how the two teams got here. 

Talking Points

Route to the final

While Senegal topped a tight Group B, with a win and two draws, Egypt had to settle for second place in Group D as Nigeria stormed through with three wins. But since the knockout phase began, Senegal’s AFCON 2022 results have been more impressive, though they arguably had an easier passage to the final. They beat Cape Verde 2-0 in the Round of 16, before coasting past Equatorial Guinea 3-1 and beating Burkina Faso by the same score-line.

Meanwhile the Pharaohs finished their Round of 16 clash against Ivory Coast with a 0-0 draw after extra time and triumphed 5-4 on penalties. In the quarter final they beat Morocco 2-1, again after extra time and then, in their semi-final Egypt squeezed past hosts and favourites Cameroon on penalties after a gruelling and goalless 120 minutes. 

With three games all going to 120 minutes and a day less to rest than their opponents, Egypt now have an uphill battle; but they have displayed magnificent stamina.

Salah vs Mane

The Premier League has plenty of representation in the final with Chelsea’s Edouard Mendy set to start for Senegal in goal; the Blues have missed him while he’s been away but they did grab a vital win over Spurs last week.  But it’s at the other end of the pitch where all the media attention will be as two of the English League’s most lethal hit men come face to face.

Liverpool team-mates Salah and Mane have not been at their most explosive during this competition but they have both been in the goals, Salah with two and Mane with three; and Salah scored Egypt’s deciding penalty in a nail-biting shootout with the excellent Ivory Coast. Both Salah and Mane have been key players in Liverpool’s success since the arrival of Jurgen Klopp as head coach at Anfield and they have been in top form again this season, particularly Salah who leads the race for the Premier League Golden Boot, with 16 goals and nine assists. Mane has bagged eight goals which makes him joint fourth top scorer in the league; and the Senegalese striker showed what a class act he is with a beautifully chipped goal in the semi-final victory over Burkina Faso.

Both players have tasted disappointment in the tournament; Mane was in the Senegal team which lost the 2019 final to Algeria, while Salah was in the Egypt side which lost 2-1 to Cameroon in the 2017 final.     

The two players will head back to Liverpool next week, where Diogo Jota has been taking the responsibility for leading the attack in their absence; the Portuguese star is the nearest to Salah in the top scorers list on ten goals, but on Sunday he’ll be cheering on his mates in the AFCON final.   

Queiroz sidelined

Egypt will be without their passionate boss Carlo Queiroz when they walk out for the final. He’s been banned from the dugout following his dismissal in the semi-final win over Cameroon, which was hardly a surprise after he had publicly critics referee Bakary Papa Gassama in the run up to the game.  He remonstrated with officials just moments after receiving a yellow card and Gassama was clearly worked up when he sent Queiroz to the stands.

His players will miss him; they have been hard to beat and well organised so it will be interesting to see how they react.   

History

With seven AFCON titles Egypt are the most successful nation in the competition’s history while highly rated Senegal are yet to break their duck.

And the Pharaohs have edged the head to results, winning six of their encounters with Senegal, drawing two and losing four.  

Betting Tip

	Senegal vs Egypt	1X2 Senegal @ 2.15
	February 07, 03:00 (GMT+8)

Both the draw at 3.05 and Egypt at SBOTOP odds of 3.95 are perfectly believable outcomes, particularly if Salah finds his best form, but with greater depth in their squad and an easier route to the final, and their boss on the touchline, I expect Senegal to come through.

 

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