Mohamed Salah set for a fresh Sadio Mane showdown in the AFCON semifinals

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Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané are set for another high-stakes clash as Egypt and Senegal meet in the Africa Cup of Nations semifinals, rekindling a rivalry that has shaped recent African football narrative. The article highlights how their upcoming showdown revives memories of the 2022 AFCON final and the World Cup qualifying playoff, both of which ended in heartbreak for Salah as Mané’s Senegal prevailed.

The piece explains that Salah has been in impressive form for Egypt throughout this tournament, carrying much of the attacking responsibility and delivering crucial goals and moments of leadership. Similarly, Mané remains the talisman for Senegal, influencing games with his creativity, work rate and end product. Their personal duel is framed not as a feud, but as a compelling sporting rivalry between two former Liverpool teammates who once spearheaded one of Europe’s most feared forward lines.

From a Liverpool perspective, the article underlines the emotional weight of the matchup. Supporters are portrayed as watching with mixed feelings: pride at seeing two club legends at the center of Africa’s biggest stage, yet aware that only one can advance to the final. The narrative also touches on how both players have carried the expectations of their nations for years, with AFCON glory viewed as a defining part of their legacy back home.

Finally, the article notes that beyond the Salah–Mané storyline, the semifinal is shaped by contrasting team styles: Egypt’s more controlled, pragmatic approach against Senegal’s physicality and dynamic attacking play. However, it concludes that, regardless of tactics, the encounter will inevitably be billed around the duel between these two iconic forwards, as Salah seeks redemption and Mané aims to reaffirm Senegal’s dominance in African football.