Sadio Mane was abruptly reminded last week that time waits for nobody in his line of work. His club Liverpool, where he is held in huge affection by his manager, Jurgen Klopp, his teammates and supporters, announced an outstanding new recruit, Luis Diaz, at the end of the transfer window who fits, quite precisely, into Mane’s position.
Diaz, the Colombia international, could cost Liverpool €60 million if he achieves the add-ons in the deal agreed with Porto for his move to Anfield - not the sort of fee Mane’s club invest in a back-up player. Diaz’s most effective role, like Mane’s, is to the left of an attacking trident. Like Mane, he has an excellent goalscoring record from there: 14 in the top flight of Portuguese football from 18 games this season.
Diaz is 25; in April Mane will be 30 and is wise enough to know that the club he has spearheaded through a period of generation-defining success have been planning for a future beyond him and his fabulously productive partnership with Mohamed Salah. Both players’ Liverpool contracts expire next year. Liverpool want them to renew, but are arming themselves for a longer term in which they no longer have a pair of African Footballers of the Year as their attacking emblems.
There’s a limited timeline for Mane with his national team, too, and an impatience, ahead of Wednesday’s Africa Cup of Nations semi-final against Burkina Faso for the coronation that has stubbornly avoided Senegal.
For much of the 21st century, Senegal’s Lions have led the way in African football without ever being champions of the continent. In 2002, when Mane was a rural schoolboy dreaming of a life in football, his compatriots reached their first Africa Cup of Nations final, defeated by Cameroon. Four months later, they raised the curtain on a sensational World Cup in South Korea, beating the title-holders, France, in the opening match of the tournament and advancing, at the country’s first appearance at a World Cup, to the quarter-finals - as far as any nation from Africa has progressed at the game’s major showpiece.
-
Senegal's Sadio Mane suffered a head injury during the Africa Cup of Nations round of 16 match against Cape Verde at the Kouekong Stadium in Bafoussam on Tuesday, January 25, 2022. Reuters -
Senegal Sadio Mane, left, is challenged by Cape Verde's defender Steven Fortes during their Afcon match at Stade de Kouekong in Bafoussam. AFP -
Senegal's Sadio Mane celebrates scoring the first goal with teammates on Tuesday. Reuters -
Senegal's Sadio Mane receives medical attention after sustaining a head injury. Reuters -
Senegal's Sadio Mane celebrates scoring the first goal. Reuters -
Players react after the collision between Sadio Mane and Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha. AFP -
Players react after the collision at the Stade de Kouekong in Bafoussam. AFP -
Cape Verde's goalkeeper Josimar Vozinha leaves the pitch after receiving a red card. AFP -
Cape Verde's forward Ryan Mendes Da Graca, left, and defender Dylan Tavares argue with Algerian referee Lahlou Benbraham. AFP
The appointment in Yaounde with Burkina Faso, one-time runners-up at an Afcon, is Senegal’s sixth semi-final in the competition. The yield of medals is a meagre pair of silvers, 20 years ago and in 2019, when Mane was among those defeated in the final by Algeria.
Mane - who has played in a winning and a losing European Cup final; and finished a Premier League season in second place with a massive 97 points before claiming the title a year later - has had enough of the near-misses. “We are here to win this Cup,” he said after the 3-1 quarter-final win over Equatorial Guinea, “not just to make it to the final. If we only did that we’d be so disappointed.”
Ranked first in Africa according to Fifa, Senegal came to Cameroon with the tag of Afcon favourites, though various factors seemed to discount that status. Key performers, like defender and captain Kalidou Koulibaly, of Napoli, and the Watford winger Ismaila Sarr, arrived carrying injuries. There was a bout of positive Covid tests, including one that ruled goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, of Chelsea, out of the opening pair of group games.
Senegal v Equatorial Guinea ratings
-
SENEGAL PLAYER RATINGS: Edouard Mendy – 7, Having slotted back into Senegal’s starting line-up after missing the opening games of the tournament, the Chelsea shot-stopper was untroubled for large parts and thought he’d finally be called into action when a penalty was given to Equatorial Guinea, before it was overturned. AFP -
Bouna Sarr – 7, Out of favour at Bayern Munich, Sarr has continued to be a consistent figure in a bulletproof Senegal defence. AFP -
Kalidou Koulibaly – 7, Very lucky to see the referee overturn a handball just after the break as Salvador’s cross tapped his hand. Supplied an absolute peach of a long ball to Ciss on the left wing as Senegal added a third. AFP -
Abdou Diallo – 7, The PSG centre-back cut out a tempting cross by Nsue into the box, which could have easily found a head. He was up to the task throughout. AFP -
Saliou Ciss – 7, Picked up an early yellow after colliding with Akapo in the air. Brought down Koulibaly’s delightful long ball and controlled it with quality to provide it on a plate for Sarr. EPA -
Idrissa Gueye – 6, The PSG midfielder should have done better with his free-kick in the early stages, which curled wide of Owono’s goal. He was too often lured into making a clumsy tackle. A second chance at a free-kick lacked any kind of direction and flew well over the bar. AP -
Nampalys Mendy – 6, The Leicester City man had a very decent chance from distance, forcing Owono off his line and into a decent save as Senegal looked for a second. AP -
Pape Gueye – 6, Booked early on which seemed to quieten the 23-year-old for much of the game but his last real bit of action saw his shot going just wide of the post. AP -
Boulaye Dia – 5, A disappointing display by the Villarreal man who failed to get into the game and was substituted soon after Equatorial Guinea’s equaliser. AFP -
Famara Diedhiou – 7, The former Bristol City man had Senegal’s first shot on target with a relatively tame attempt at Owono, but he finally opened his account in the AFCON, beating Coco and Orozco to tap home. AP -
Sadio Mane – 9, Much debate was raised with the Liverpool man’s inclusion following his head injury in the last round but Senegal were delighted to have him fit for the game as he became the star man once again. He supplied a beautiful through-ball to Diedhiou to open the scoring and constantly caused trouble. Reuters -
SUBS: Ismaila Sarr (Dia 58’) – 7, Made his first appearance since November after returning from knee injury and sealed Senegal’s place in the quarter finals with an easy tap into an open net. AFP -
Bamba Dieng (Diedhiou 65’) – 6, Lively introduction, and saw a left-footed shot blocked. AP -
Cheikhou Kouyate (Pape Gueye 65’) – 7, Wasted no time returning from suspension to knock a loose ball past Owono as the Crystal Palace midfielder helped his country retake the lead. AP -
EQUATORIAL GUINEA PLAYER RATINGS: Jesus Owono – 6, The 20-year-old goalkeeper has been quite the star for his country this tournament but could do nothing to stop Senegal’s first as Diedhiou slotted it home with ease. Did very well to claim Mendy’s powerful strike from distance. AFP -
Carlos Akapo – 6, Able to get his foot on a decent low cross into the box by Ciss as Senegal threatened a second but beaten seconds later by Mane. Was always going to be a tough match-up on the wing, but he coped reasonably well. Part of the mix-up for Senegal’s second. AFP -
Esteban Orozco – 6, Unable to stop Diedhiou running behind him to find Mane’s ball and slot home. Made a few clearances but left a great deal to his centre-back partner to deal with. Reuters -
Saul Coco – 5, Looked a bit of a liability in the defence, losing the ball and committing fouls. Unable to stop Diedhiou squeezing through the centre-back pairing to tap home. Caught ball watching during a defensive mix-up which gave Kouyate an open goal. Reuters -
Basilio Ndong – 6, Supplied the most crucial clearance inside the sex-yard box as a mess-up the back-line saw Mane deliver the ball onto a plate before Ndong’s interception, before some great build-up play. AFP -
Iban Salvador – 7, Saw a decent attempt from distance soar just over within the opening stages as Equatorial Guinea looked to make a footprint on the game. A lively influence and thought he’d earned a penalty for his country after his cross hit Koulibaly’s hand. AFP -
Pablo Ganet – 7, The 27-year-old would have hoped to net his second of the tournament when he was brought down on the edge of the box following a storming run, but he needed to do much better with the resulting free-kick, which he failed to get over the wall. Provided a great through-ball for Buyla to slot home. AFP -
Jose Machin – 6, Did well to help Equatorial Guinea in the midfield during much of the first half, with the Monza midfielder happy to stick a foot in. Booked. AFP -
Jannick Buyla – 6, A quiet first half was quickly forgotten as the Gimnastic Tarragona midfielder made no mistake to find an equaliser for his country in the 57th minute. AFP -
Josete Miranda – 6, Lucky not to be carded after barging Mane off the ball and committing a foul within shooting distance. Had moments but largely on the backfoot as Senegal grew into the game. AFP -
Emilio Nsue – 6, The clubless captain looked up for the game in his first start since the first match of the tournament, supplying a dangerous cross into the box forcing Diallo to clear. However, he faded away as his country dropped deep. So nearly tapped home Akapo’s cross, though the ball was too far out of reach. Reuters -
SUBS: Federico Bikoro (Ganet 72’) – N/R, A change for Equatorial Guinea following Senegal’s second goal of the game but Bikoro was largely ineffective. EPA -
Ruben Belima (Salvador 80’) – N/R, Did have an effort from distance but was unable to trouble Mendy in goal. Reuters -
Santiago Eneme (Josete Miranda 80’) N/R, Part of a double change and had his shot blocked in the closing stages. Reuters -
Pedro Oba (for Emilio Nsue) – N/R, Provided fans with a flash of hope as he forced Mendy into a low save with five minutes to go. AFP -
Alex Balboa (Jose Machin 85’) – N/R, A late change as manager Juan Micha looked for some late hope. Reuters
Their football seemed crabby, sluggish. By half time of their last-16 tie against Cape Verde, their only tournament goal had been Mane’s late penalty in the first group game against Zimbabwe. They sealed their place in the last eight only once Cape Verde had had two players sent off, Mane breaking the deadlock in a 2-0 victory.
But last Sunday, a sublime pass from Mane to Famara Diedhiou unlocked a stylish Equatorial Guinea in a quarter-final that showed the best of Senegal, foregrounding Mane’s panache and the strength in depth that head coach, Aliou Cisse, can call on and understands how to use. Chiekhou Kouyate came off the bench, immediately alert to a defensive error that allowed him to hook in Senegal’s second goal. Ismaila Sarr, out of competitive action since November, celebrated his comeback with a goal barely 20 minutes after Cisse had introduced him as a substitute.
The head coach, concerned at the outset of the tournament about the fitness of trusted players, was applauded for his substitutions and for the way he has paced the campaign, gradually, patiently.
But Cisse is as impatient as any Senegalese to claim that elusive first Afcon. He was a player in the 2002 team, was the Senegal coach who missed out on a World Cup knockout round via the narrowest of tie-breakers - the number of group-stage yellow cards - in 2018, and who guided his country to second place at the last Nations Cup. “We’re gaining in strength,” warned Cisse, another final now in his sights.
