Izuchukwu Okosi
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The curtains will come down tonight in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon with seven-time champions Egypt facing deputy African champions Senegal at the Olembe’s Paul Biya Stadium.
The subplot in the AFCON final is indusputably the meeting of Sadio Mane (for Senegal) and Mohamed Salah (Egypt) both Liverpool’s forwards and on whose shoulders lie the hopes of two nations.
Senegal are the beaten finalists in two previous finals while seven-time champions Egypt will be hoping to go one better after their 2017 final disappointment in the hands of Cameroon.
The 33rd edition of the AFCON has certainly lived up to its billing in terms of the quality of football played albeit the officiating left much to be desired.
Senegal have not won the tournament and like the Pharaohs started the tournament on a slow note drawing two group games with a victory.
Egypt were defeated 1-0 by the Super Eagles of Nigeria before laboured wins over Sudan and Guinea-Bissau.
After their unconvincing group-stage campaign, the Teranga Lions of Senegal found their form in the round of 16 as they sidestepped Cape Verde with goals from Mane and Ahmadou Bamba Dieng.
Cisse’s side continued improvement came to the fore in the quarter-finals where they defeated Equatorial Guinea 3-1 at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium to set up a last-four clash with Burkina Faso on Wednesday.
Carlos Queiroz’s team finished as runners-up in Group D with six points from nine available, the North Africans then progressed to the last 16 where they saw off tournament favourites Ivory Coast on penalties following a goalless 120 minutes.
Egypt then overcame north African rivals Morocco as Salah scored to cancel Sofiane Boufal’s seventh minute penalty and force an extra time where Aston Villa’s Trezeguet conjured up a 100th-minute winner.
As the giants of African football go for the jugular not forgetting the Salah and Mane dichotomy, fans of football on the continent and indeed all over the world are on for some quality AFCON final.
Prime Business Africa’s Prediction: The two teams will make a fight of it but this is the kind of grudge match that will be decided after 120 minutes of football (extra time) and possibly penalties.
Egypt to nick it after the shootouts to continue Senegal’s misery in the AFCON finals. Only just.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
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