14/01/2026

SPORTS WEDNESDAY | JAN 14, 2026

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T HREE years after they last appeared together, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah meet again tomorrow (1am Malaysian time) on opposing sides as Senegal and Egypt clash for a place in the Africa Cup of Nations final. The last-four showdown in the Moroccan city of Tangiers will be the first time the former Liverpool team mates have shared a pitch since the Anfield club lost to Real Madrid in the Champions League final in May 2022. Shortly after that, Mane left for Bayern Munich before moving to Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League a year later. Salah, meanwhile, has been heav ily linked with a move to Saudi Arabia in the near future but remains for now at Liverpool despite falling out of favour with coach Arne Slot before coming to the Cup of Nations. The Egypt captain is a man on a mission in Morocco, having scored four goals in four appearances on the Pharaoh’s run to the semi-finals as he targets winning Afcon for the first time. Salah, who turns 34 in June, is run ning out of time to win a major inter national honour with his country having suffered the agony of two final defeats in the competition. Mane, who also turns 34 this year, will feel less pressure having already WHILE Brahim Diaz scored in five straight matches and steered Morocco to an Africa Cup of Nations semifinal against Nigeria tomorrow, goalkeeper Yassine Bounou has also played a key role. Popularly known as Bono, the 34-year-old conceded only once in three group and two knockout matches – and it took a penalty kick to beat him. Bono guessed correctly the direction of the spot-kick from Mali’s Lassine Sinayoko, but could not prevent the low, powerful shot slipping under his body and into the net. The top-of-the-table Group A clash ended 1-1, the only time hosts Morocco have failed to win as they seek a second Afcon title 50 years after the maiden success. “I am reluctant to single out individuals, but Bono is a key figure in our squad. He is one of the best goalkeepers in the world,” Morocco coach Walid Regragui told report ers during the Afcon. The keeper has praised the Moroccan defence, including cap tain Achraf Hakimi from Paris Saint Germain and Manchester United full-back Noussair Mazraoui, for his multiple clean sheets. “I feel so confident with Atlas Lions’ Bono ‘one of best ‘keepers in the world’

High-stakes reunion Salah, Mane meet again with Afcon final place on the line

former African footballers of the year look to lead their countries to glory – for the second time, in Mane’s case. “The pressure for me is over. Before I won the African Cup, some times I played badly because of the pressure,” Mane, who has one goal at this Afcon admitted on the same pod cast. “All that on your shoulders is not easy,” he added, and Salah is well aware of that. – AFP

League finals. But Mane recently admitted that sometimes the pair found it difficult to get along on the pitch. “I think Mo is first of all a very nice guy. I think though inside the pitch, sometimes he would pass to me and sometimes he wouldn’t,” Mane said on the Rio Ferdinand Presents pod cast. “Only Bobby (Firmino) was there to share the balls. Sometimes it was like this,” he added with a laugh. “I still remember one game when I was really, really angry because he doesn’t pass me the ball.” This time they really are on oppos ing sides, as two

collected a Cup of Nations winner’s medal. “Nobody, even in Egypt, wants to win this trophy more than me,” admitted Salah after helping his team beat Ivory Coast in the quarterfinals. “I have won almost every prize. This is the title I am waiting for.” The pair played together under Jurgen Klopp for five years between Salah arriving from Roma in 2017 and Mane’s departure. They formed a formidable front line along with Roberto Firmino and together won the Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League in 2020 –

HEAD-TO-HEAD Senegal vs Egypt

African coaches to the fore at Cup of Nations FOUR African coaches will take charge of the semifinalists at this year’s Africa Cup of Nations, disproving the popular local notion that they are given few opportunities on their own continent. Pape Bouna Thiaw leads Senegal against Egypt, coached by their prolific for mer striker Hossam Hassan, in the first semifinal in Tangiers tomorrow, followed by hosts Morocco, under Walid Regragui, against Nigeria, who have ex-Mali interna tional Eric Chelle on their bench. The only other time the final four sides were managed by Africans was in 1965, and African coaches have long complained they are often overlooked for national team jobs in favour of Europeans or South Americans with mediocre credentials. “There have often been situations where African coaches have not been able to get jobs because federations and clubs prefer Europeans, but that seems to be changing a bit,” said former Ghana interna tional Kwesi Appiah, who led Sudan to a last-16 place. He was one of three African coaches taking charge of a team different from his own nationality at the finals in Morocco – a new phenomenon for the tournament. “I think there is a responsibility too for the African coaches to prove their worth with hard work,” Appiah told Reuters . This is the third successive Cup of Nations where African coaches outnumber foreigners. In Morocco, there have been 14 African managers, nine from Europe and one from Argentina. Foreign coaches had previously domi nated with only six of the first 32 editions of the tournament boasting a majority of local coaches. Many European coaches have launched their careers in Africa but only a handful have returned to high-profile jobs in their own countries, like Roger Lemerre, who spent time managing in Tunisia before win ning the 2000 European Championship with France, and Philippe Troussier, who had a brief and unsuccessful stint at Olympique de Marseille after working in five different African nations and Japan. When it comes to lifting the trophy, however, the statistics favour African coaches who have masterminded 18 Afcon titles to 16 for teams coached by foreigners. Africa’s number will increase again after Sunday’s final. – Reuters 1976: Nigeria 1 Morocco 3 (group stage) 1976: Nigeria 1 Morocco 2 (group stage) 1980: Nigeria 1 Morocco 0 (semifinals) 2000: Nigeria 2 Morocco 0 (group stage) 2004: Nigeria 0 Morocco 1 (group stage) 1986: Senegal 1 Egypt 0 (group stage) 2000: Senegal 0 Egypt 1 (group stage) 2002: Senegal 1 Egypt 0 (group stage) 2006: Senegal 1 Egypt 2 (semifinals) 2022: Senegal 0 Egypt 0 (Final, Senegal won 4-2 on pen) Nigeria vs Morocco

Senegal’s Sadio Mane.

there were also two defeats to Real in Champions

Egypt’s Mohamed Salah.

Osimhen gives Nigeria cutting edge

IF THERE was a moment that summed up Nigeria’s failed World Cup qualifying campaign, it was per haps Victor Osimhen’s (below) incredible miss during a crunch play off against Gabon.

would then lie in wait in the final. But Nigeria have arguably been the most impressive side these last three weeks in Morocco, scoring a tournament-high 14 goals in five matches. Osimhen has four goals, including the opener in Saturday’s 2-0 quarter final victory against Algeria in Marrakesh in which he also set up the clincher for Akor Adams. A player who starred on the run to the final two years ago despite scor ing just once is now at his prolific best for Eric Chelle’s team. “I think as a man and as a player, I’ve improved a lot,” Osimhen said after Saturday’s game in which his connection with fellow forwards Adams and Ademola Lookman was showcased. “I always come back to the mis takes I have made when I am in my spare time and try to see how I can improve.” “Now I have so much confidence in the way I play with the help of my teammates but for me it is not about the goals or assists, it is just about winning something with this squad,” said the 27-year-old former African player of the year. – AFP

Republic of Congo. Nigeria, an African footballing superpower, will therefore be absent from a second consecutive World Cup while a record number of teams from the continent – 10 if DR Congo win an intercontinental playoff in March – will be present. Tomorrow (4am), however, the Nigerians will be back in the Moroccan capital for a blockbuster Africa Cup of Nations semifinal against the hosts and title favourites. The only way the Super Eagles can really make amends is by beating Morocco and winning Afcon. Nigeria, who lost the 2024 Cup of Nations final to hosts Ivory Coast, are looking for a fourth continental title to follow those won in 1980, 1994 and 2013. It remains a big ask given the chal lenge of beating 2022 World Cup semifinalists Morocco in front of almost 70,000 of their supporters in Rabat, as well as the fact that either Senegal or Mohamed Salah’s Egypt

The usually lethal striker somehow fired wide with just the goalkeeper to beat right at the end of normal time in the November game in

Achraf, Noussair, Nayef (Aguerd) and Adam (Masina) in front of me. Thanks also to my other teammates who retreat and help when we come under pressure,” he told reporters. “The semifinalists have qualified on merit and all boast outstand ing players. My wish is that Morocco lift the tro phy on Sunday.” – AFP

Rabat.

He did make amends by scoring twice in extra-time as the Super Eagles eventually won that match, but their bid to make the finals in North America came to an end a few days later as they lost on penalties to the Democratic