Afcon 2021: Mane beats Salah to MVP award as Senegal emerge champions

Mane was key for the Teranga Lions in Sunday's final and all through the tournament

Afcon 2021: Mane beats Salah to MVP award as Senegal emerge champions
Mane

Sadio Mane has been voted as the Most Valuable Player of the 2021 Africa Cup Nations in Cameroon.

Mane was the hero as Senegal on Sunday evening won the Cup of Nations for the first time in Cameroon.

The Teranga Lions defeated the Pharaoh of Egypt 4-2 on penalties after extra time.

The Liverpool man held his nerve and converted the decisive penalty kick that got the West African nation their first taste of victory in Africa football after coming quite close in two occasions.

Mane had seen a seventh-minute penalty saved by Egypt keeper Gabaski but Mane held his nerve when he returned in the shootout.

Chelsea's Edouard Mendy denied Mohanad Lasheen to give Mane the chance to win it in Yaounde's Olembe Stadium.

Gabaski had made three good saves from Senegal's Bamba Dieng in extra time.

All four of Egypt's knockout games at the tournament went the distance, and the North Africans had beaten Ivory Coast and hosts Cameroon on spot-kicks en route to the final.

Gabaski had already saved four penalties at the tournament by the time the match went to a shootout, but on this occasion the 33-year-old was not able to emerge on the winning side.

Egypt were the first to err when centre-back Mohamed Abdelmonem saw his penalty hit the left-hand upright and bounce away - but Gabaski immediately denied Bouna Sarr.

However, Lasheen was then denied and Mane won it with an emphatic finish into the bottom left-hand corner, meaning his Liverpool team-mate Mohamed Salah did not even have the chance to take a penalty, with the Pharaohs captain set to go fifth for his side.

Senegal had previously lost two Nations Cup finals, finishing runners-up in 2002 and 2019.

The two sides will meet again in March in a two-legged play-off for a spot at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.