Liverpool hero Sadio Mane fired Senegal into the final of this year’s Africa Cup of Nations with a crucial insurance goal in the closing stages of their last-four meeting with Burkina Faso. The Reds ace ran the show for the Lions of Teranga, who survived a late scare to claim the all-important victory and set up a mouthwatering final against either Cameroon or Egypt.
Senegal were the pre-match favourites and were ultimately the better side on the day in an eventful contest that produced no shortage of controversy from the off.
They had two big penalty shouts turned down by VAR, with Burkina Faso goalkeeper Herve Koffi being forced off with an injury after the events of the first.
The underdogs refused to lie down against their star-studded opponents, but it was Senegal who managed to break the deadlock when Abdou Diallo fired home from close range with 20 minutes remaining.
Mane then set up Idrissa Gueye to double his side’s advantage before Burkina Faso pulled one back through Blati Toure in the 82nd minute.
It looked for a moment as if Senegal would have had to work hard to retain their lead, but Mane went on to deliver the killer blow with a lobbed finish to ensure their place in the final.
The Liverpool winger reaped the rewards of a calamitous error from two Burkina Faso defenders, who surrendered possession as they bizarrely tackled each other outside their own penalty area.
Edmund Tapsoba was left stranded as the ball was nicked away from him by a team-mate into the path of Mane, with the Reds ace making no mistake in finding the back of the net with a finely-weighted chip.
It was another man-of-the-match performance from Mane, who has led the charge for Senegal with three goals and two assists since the beginning of the tournament.
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