Senegal won the CAN by beating Egypt on penalties (0-0, 4-2) in the final this Sunday in Yaoundé (Cameroon). Edouard Mendy, the Chelsea goalkeeper was decisive during the session.
A victorious penalty shootout concluded by Sadio Mané and an anomaly finally repaired. After the two lost finals (2002, 2019), Senegal finally won the first CAN in its history by beating Egypt in the final. In Dakar, Saint-Louis, and in all the streets of the cities of the country, the horns resounded until the end of the night.
Marked by the drama of Olembé (eight deaths before the Cameroon-Comoros match, January 24), the controversies, and the many hiccups in its organization, this CAN 2022 will have kept all its promises on the ground. More closed, this final nevertheless delivered a fine winner, with a united collective and offensive qualities if he had not always been brilliant in the game.
"Gabaski" stops a penalty from Mané
In Cairo, there may soon be a statue built representing Mohamed Abou Bagal known as "Gabaski". At 33, he went in a few days from the status of 2nd goalkeeper to that of a national hero. The "big dam", as it is now nicknamed in Egypt, had already proved decisive during the penalty shootouts against Côte d'Ivoire in the round of 16 (1 save) and Cameroon in the half (2 saves ). And it's still the Zamalek goalkeeper, only the 7th selection, who is already rocking this final by stopping Sadio Mané's penalty in the 6th minute.
If Senegal had control of the game and proved to be dominating, Egypt, with experience, often manages to break the rhythm. Suspended and in the stands, Carlos Queiroz, the Portuguese coach of the Pharaohs, often on the phone with his staff, sees Mohamed Salah forcing Édouard Mendy to a big stop (43rd).
But it is Gabaski who continues his show by showing himself imperial at the feet of Mané (53rd) then Diedhiou (56th). With three consecutive extensions in the legs (Côte d'Ivoire, Morocco, Cameroon) and one less day of recovery after playing Thursday, Egypt nevertheless manages to contain the Senegalese offensives well while being very dangerous on a header from Marwan (75th). From the start of extra time - therefore the fourth for Egypt - the incredible Gabaski (8 saves in total) was again decisive three times against the Marseillais Bamba Dieng (91st, 100th, 115th).
But during the penalty shootout, he let Édouard Mendy put on the hero's costume. The European champion with Chelsea voted the best goalkeeper in the world in 2021, stops Lascheen's attempt after seeing Abdelmonem's hit the post. Before celebrating on the podium with his teammates this crowning African champion, he was called first to receive the trophy for best goalkeeper of this competition. His captain Sadio Mané, whom we saw consoling Mohamed Salah, his teammate at Liverpool, for a long time, was elected best player of CAN 2022.
Two sacred PSG players
Aliou Cissé is therefore no longer cursed. The Teranga Lions coach, a former PSG player, was on the pitch in 2002 and then on the bench to lead his players in 2019, during the lost finals. “It came down to little against a great Egyptian team that showed what it was capable of,” said Cissé. This title escaped us and we are proud to win it against this sacred team seven times, it is not nothing. I'm very emotive. We win for the Senegalese people who have been demanding this for more than 60 years. But we too will have our star now. We will enjoy these moments. »
Abdou Diallo, who transformed his shot on goal, and Idrissa Gueye succeed Serge Aurier (Côte d'Ivoire in 2015) and Selim Benachour (Tunisia in 2004), the first two players in the history of PSG to win the CAN. Remaining in the stands during this final, Moustapha Name is the first player from Paris FC (Ligue 2) to be crowned African champion.
"We knew it was going to be difficult," said captain Kalidou Koulibaly. In Dakar we all talked to each other, we had a dream, it was to win the CAN. Nobody was waiting for us there, nobody was waiting for us in the final. Today, we did it, we always believed in it despite all the criticism that there was on our team. No one saw us there. Today we won. We can only be happy, our people deserve it, and I thank them for always believing in us, I really thank them. »
Senegal and Egypt will play a “revenge” on March 24 and 29 in the World Cup qualifying play-offs with one of the five Africa zone tickets for Qatar at stake.
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