Sadio Mane has last laugh after Mohamed Salah incident sparked AFCON brawl

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The article explores how Sadio Mané ultimately enjoyed the “last laugh” over former Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah after a bad-tempered Africa Cup of Nations semi-final between Senegal and Egypt turned ugly following a foul involving the pair. It recounts how Salah clipped Mané from behind near the halfway line, sparking anger on the Senegal bench, and how a subsequent soft challenge on Mohamed Hany by Habib Diarra ignited a full touchline brawl as both technical areas emptied and staff and substitutes clashed.[1][2]

While the players themselves tried to get on with the game, the incident highlighted the intense competitive edge and long-running narrative between Salah and Mané at international level, where their nations have repeatedly collided in high-stakes fixtures. The article links this latest flashpoint to their broader rivalry: Mané has already denied Salah major international prizes, most notably in the 2021 AFCON final and in World Cup qualifying, where Senegal eliminated Egypt with Mané scoring decisive penalties on both occasions.[3]

Against that backdrop, the semi-final fracas is framed as another chapter in which Mané emerges on top. Senegal’s physical, front-foot approach unsettled Egypt, and even with captain Kalidou Koulibaly booked and later forced off injured, the West Africans maintained control.[1][4] The narrative underlines that, in AFCON terms, Mané has consistently proven the more decisive figure, delivering when it matters most, whereas Salah’s quest for a major international trophy remains unfulfilled.[3][4]

Ultimately, the “last laugh” refers less to the individual foul and more to the pattern: every time the stakes peak for their countries, it is Mané and Senegal who advance at Egypt and Salah’s expense, reinforcing a rivalry that is fierce on the pitch but, as both have stressed, grounded in professional respect off it.[3]