Afcon 2021: Mane joins Salah in semi final
Both Liverpool players have been phenomenal for their respective countries.
Sadio Mane played a vital role Sunday night as Senegal breezed into the semi-final stage of the Africa Cup of Nations in style; beating Equatorial Guniea 3-1 on Sunday night at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium, Yaounde.
Cheikhou Kouyate and Ismailia Sarr proved to be super subs as they came off the bench to score the goals that saw Senegal overpower hard-fighting Equatorial Guinea.
Senegal, who never have won the tournament, face Burkina Faso on Wednesday, before Egypt play Cameroon in the second semi-final on Thursday, with the final taking place on Sunday, 6 February.
Equatorial Guinea, 114th in Fifa's world rankings, had been hoping to cause an upset against a Senegal side ranked 20th - the highest-placed African nation.
Mane helps Senegal secure victory
Senegal started well as Idrissa Gueye fired a free-kick wide and Diedhiou had a shot saved by Jesus Owono before their 28th-minute opener.
Liverpool forward Mane, taken to hospital with concussion after suffering a clash of heads in the last-16 match against Cape Verde, played an excellent pass and Diedhiou finished well.
But Equatorial Guinea, semi-finalists in 2015, fought back early in the second half.
They thought they had a penalty when referee Victor Gomes pointed to the spot after the ball hit Kalidou Koulibaly's hand at close range. But, following a VAR intervention, Gomes watched the incident on a pitchside monitor and judged Koulibaly could not have moved away in time as it was so close.
Equatorial Guinea bounced back from that disappointment and equalised in the 57th minute as Pablo Ganet linked up with Buyla, who fired an angled strike past Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
But Senegal were gifted a 68th-minute second when Crystal Palace midfielder Kouyate, brought on just three minutes earlier, volleyed into the net after two Equatorial Guinea defenders collided into each other while trying to head clear.
Another substitute Sarr, playing his first game since November after injury, sealed Senegal's victory after good work from team-mate Saliou Ciss.
