The Africa Cup of Nations final was also a clash between two players who have shaped African soccer in recent years. Sadio Mané’s greatest moment came when the game wasn’t even being played.
It wasn’t a private duel between the two. And yet, right from the kickoff of the Africa Cup of Nations final between Senegal and Morocco, it was clear that both Sadio Mané on one side and Bono on the other were in form worthy of a final on this Sunday evening.
Mané, who had secured Senegal’s place in the final with his 1-0 winning goal in the semi-final against Egypt, was one of the most important factors in the game with and against the ball right from the start. Sure, the entire Senegalese team once again underlined its status in Africa, combining offensive ideas with defensive power, unlike the rest of Morocco’s opponents.
Mané embodied both of these qualities, especially in the first half. Hard-working against the ball, creative and technically outstanding with the ball, the 33-year-old gave his team something that Nigeria, for example, had lacked in the semifinal against Morocco: the will and, above all, the quality to impose their own game on the hosts.
Not throughout the entire game, but selectively, used wisely, when it was possible. Mané shone not only as a player on the pitch, but also as the leader of a team that was reeling at times. Namely, when the game was interrupted for over 20 minutes due to riots after the penalty kick was called.
His teammates wanted to leave the field twice in protest against what they considered to be a wrong call. Mané, who had been talking to French coaching legend Claude le Roy, stopped them, knowing that the Senegalese now had to deal with this situation.
Sure, despite the defeat in the final, Morocco is the best team in Africa in terms of its squad alone. No type of player is missing from this team, as was evident not least in the final. It has pace, finesse, physicality, cleverness, experience, mentality—in short, the building blocks for a tournament victory. And although the Moroccans didn’t win it, that was only due to the arrogant action of Brahim Diaz, who, in a moment of complete ecstasy, chipped a questionable penalty far too casually into the middle of the goal.
Bono shows his full range
Once again, Bono played a decisive role in taking the game into extra time. The keeper had already secured victory in the penalty shootout against Nigeria, but against Senegal he became the decisive man after just six minutes. Corner situation, the ball flies over the players gathered in front of the goal and spins dangerously towards the far post. Pape Gueye is waiting there. A header, Bono makes himself big and makes a great save. The corner was taken, of course, by Sadio Mané.
The second scene shows the range of Bono’s skills: when Iliman Ndiaye was played in by Nicolas Jackson on the right side after 38 minutes, the goalkeeper was at exactly the right angle, spread his arms, and then reacted brilliantly with his foot.
And then there was this: in the 111th minute, Cherif Ndiaye was free in front of the Moroccan goal, received a perfect pass to his right foot, and only had to tap it in—but Bono was so quick to get down that it looked as if he had already anticipated a low shot to the center. Then he dived for the ball again, preventing the 0-2 in the follow-up shot, threw his arms up in the air and celebrated himself and his save. Three chances, three misses – and Bono was to blame for each one.
The now 34-year-old “only” plays in Saudi Arabia for Al-Hilal, where he is no longer challenged as much as he once was in Seville. And yet he stood out in the Africa Cup final. One of his opponents in the Saudi Pro League: Sadio Mané. It once seemed likely that the former Munich player would also end his career in the desert. Similar to Bono, that is only part of the truth.
