'I have so much respect for him and he gave everything for his country'
Sadio Mane told Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah that Egypt's defeat to Senegal in the Africa Cup of Nations final doesn’t take anything away from his standing in the sport.
Senegal won AFCON for the first time ever with a penalty shootout win over the Pharaohs in Sunday night’s final, ending their long wait to lift the title.
While Mane scored the decisive spot-kick in Yaounde after the two sides were deadlocked at 0-0 after 120 minutes, he was quick to console Salah, who was unable to hide his anguish following the defeat.
The 29-year-old has since opened up on what he said to his club teammate, assuring him that he will have several chances to lift trophies in the future.
"I told him that he remains a very great player and it’s a pleasure to play for the same club," Mane said to
beIN SPORTS.
"I have so much respect for him and he gave everything for his country. Unfortunately, he didn’t win, but that doesn’t mean it’s over for him.
"I also told him that he still has many things to win, including the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. They have a young team so maybe they will win it one day."
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Mane bounced back from missing a penalty in the seventh minute of normal time to score the winning spot-kick, and he admitted that the support of Senegal helped him recover from the early disappointment.
"When I missed the first penalty, it was a big blow for me," he added.
"But my team-mates came to me and said, 'Sadio, we lose together and we win together. We know you. You have done too much for us – keep on going'.
"That made me stronger and I think it made the difference when I got the second one.
"All the boys came to me and said, ‘Sadio, we trust you’,, and that gave me more motivation.
"The trophy belongs to the whole Senegal team – everyone deserves it."
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