Senegal’s Sadio Mane inflicts heartbreak on Mohamed Salah’s Egypt again

The World Cup play-off was decided by a penalty shootout as Senegal prevailed again in a repeat of the Africa Cup of Nations final two months ago

Sadio Mane in action against Egypt (AFP via Getty Images)

Sadio Mane slotted the decisive penalty to send Senegal to the World Cup finals while his Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah suffered shoot-out heartbreak for Egypt.

Mane’s spot-kick concluded a dramatic second leg in Diamniadio after Hamdi Fathi’s fourth-minute own goal hauled the hosts level following Egypt’s 1-0 win in Cairo on Friday night.

The result was a repeat of the Africa Cup of Nations final two months ago when Mane again scored the winning penalty against the same opponents.

Senegal dominated most of the proceedings and Egypt were indebted to keeper Mohamed El Shenawy who produced a series of stunning saves to deny Pape Abdou Cisse and Ismaila Sarr in extra-time.

Salah blazed Egypt’s first penalty over the bar and after both sides contrived to miss their first four spot-kicks combined, it fell to Mane to seal his side’s passage to Qatar.

Thomas Partey’s early goal saw Ghana also qualify for the finals after a 1-1 draw with Nigeria in Abuja, which proved enough to send the Ghanaians through on the away goals rule.