18/01/2026

theSun on Sunday JAN 18, 2026

SPORTS 13

Last hurrah Mane aims to inspire Senegal to second title on Afcon farewell

Coaches Regragui, Thiaw have suffered heartbreak RIVAL Africa Cup of Nations final coaches in Rabat tomorrow, Walid Regragui of Morocco and Pape Thiaw of Senegal have both experienced the heartbreak of losing a title decider as players. Striker Thiaw was part of the Senegal squad that lost the 2002 Afcon final on penalties after a 0-0 draw with defending champions Cameroon. Fullback Regragui played in the following final, two years later, which Morocco lost 2-1 to hosts Tunisia. Senegal have played in two subsequent Afcon title deciders, losing to Algeria in 2019 and defeating Egypt on penalties three years later. But before the 2025 Afcon, Morocco never progressed beyond the quarterfinals in eight attempts since finishing runners-up in Tunisia. Regragui created history in 2022 when he coached Morocco to the World Cup semifinals, shocking Belgium, Spain and Portugal en route. It was the first time an African or Arab nation had reached the last four in the quadrennial global showpiece. What made the achievement more remarkable was Regragui had taken charge of the Atlas Lions just three months before the World Cup kicked off after Bosnian Vahid Halilhodzic was sacked. Morocco mocked form and tradition by topping a group including Croatia and Belgium, then eliminated Spain on penalties and Portugal before falling to France. Based on their performances in Qatar, Morocco were overwhelming favourites to win the 2024 Afcon in the Ivory Coast. But after cruising to the round of 16, they came unstuck against South Africa. A brilliant Teboho Mokoena goal direct from a free-kick sealed a 2-0 victory for the underdogs. Having qualified comfortably for the 2026 World Cup, Morocco are now one victory away from ending a 50-year wait for a second Afcon title after winning the 1976 tournament in Ethiopia. “We are considered firm favourites to win this Afcon. I read that we will win the tournament comfortably. That if we do not win our campaign will be judged a failure,” Regragui told reporters. “My task, and the job of my staff and the senior players, is to keep our feet on the ground and remember why Morocco has not won the Afcon for 50 years. “We have not won the Afcon because we lacked humility in many of the tournaments and we must not fall into that trap again.” After the disappointment of losing the 2002 Afcon final, Thiaw went to the World Cup in South Korea and Japan later that year. Senegal stunned defending champions France 1-0 in the opening match and exceeded expectations by reaching the quarterfinals, where they fell to Turkey. Dakar-born Thiaw scored five goals in 16 national team appearances and played for clubs in France, Switzerland, Russia and Spain before retiring in 2009. Thiaw was put in charge of the Senegal team preparing for the 2023 African Nations Championship (CHAN), a competition restricted to home-based footballers. Thiaw unexpectedly led his country to glory, defeating hosts and favourites Algeria on penalties in the final after a goalless draw. Now 44, he succeeded Aliou Cisse as coach of the senior national team in December 2024 and has lost just once – to Brazil in a London friendly match. – AFP

SADIO MANE will cement his status as one of the all-time great African players if he can lead Senegal to victory against hosts Morocco in tomorrow’s (3am Malaysian time) Cup of Nations final – a game he has said will be his farewell to the tournament. Former Liverpool star Mane turns 34 in April and has played over 120 times for his country going back to a debut against Morocco shortly after his 20th birthday in 2012. The high point of his international career came in February 2022, when he starred as the Lions of Teranga beat Egypt on penalties in the Cup of Nations final in Yaounde. Having missed a penalty during nor mal time that night, he stepped up to score the decisive kick in the shoot-out and Senegal – World Cup quarterfinalists in 2002 – were African champions for the first time. A huge weight was lifted off the shoul ders of the boy from a small town on the banks of the Casamance River in south ern Senegal. “Before I won the Africa Cup, some times I played badly because of the pres sure,” Mane admitted in a recent inter view for the Rio Ferdinand Presents pod cast as he opened up on the significance of that victory. “People in Europe love their national team but some people love their club more – Senegal is the opposite.

Cairo in 2019 and missing the 2022 World Cup with injury. But he is hoping to make 2026 a memorable year by claiming a second Afcon winner’s medal before turning his attentions to the World Cup in the United States where Senegal will be in the same group as France and Norway. After scoring the winning goal in Thursday’s semifinal win over Mohamed Salah’s Egypt, Mane announced that the final against Morocco in Rabat would be his last game at a Cup of Nations. “I hope to win and bring the trophy back to Dakar,” said the forward who has spent the last two and a half years in Saudi Arabia with Al-Nassr, where he counts Cristiano Ronaldo among his teammates. There is a feeling that the approaching World Cup might be the swansong for a generation of Senegal players which also includes goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, skipper Kalidou Koulibaly and mid fielder Idrissa Gana Gueye. Mane spent a large chunk of his inter national career playing under Aliou Cisse before Pape Thiaw took over as coach in late 2024. “Let’s hope we have many more years with him, because you don’t find a player like him every day. and we need to make the most of him,” Thiaw said of Mane after the Egypt win. “I hope this won’t be his last final; there are other competitions coming up, so we’ll see.” Mane has scored just twice in Morocco over the last month, his other goal coming in a group-stage draw with the Democratic Republic of Congo – he now has 11 Cup of Nations goals in total, placing him among an elite band of play ers to have reached double figures. With Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye grow ing in importance and Paris Saint Germain teenager Ibrahim Mbaye emerging at this tournament, Mane must feel Senegal’s attack is in good hands going forward. His announcement suggests that he is ready to turn his back on the next Afcon, which is set to take place in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda next year. If he can help deliver a second title in three editions for Senegal, confirming their status as a modern African foot balling superpower, he will surely feel as though his work is done. – AFP Morocco’s sole African crown came in 1976, with only one subsequent final appearance in 2004. This history appeared to weigh heavily on them during a tentative start to the cur rent tournament last month. Yet, they seem to have shed those early nerves, displaying an impressively aggressive and fast approach in their recent victories against Cameroon and Nigeria. They will also benefit from fervent home support at the Stade Moulay Abdellah. “It’s a unique moment for us,” captain Achraf Hakimi stated after their semifinal success. “We’ve made history once again, this team deserves it. All Moroccans deserve it. We are very happy, but we haven’t fin ished the job yet.”

Senegal’s Sadio Mane celebrates after scoring the opening goal in the Afcon semifinal against Egypt on Wednesday. – REUTERSPI C

“That is why there is this big pressure, so I just had to win this. It was really important.” There have also been plenty of lows for the two-time African foot baller of the year,

including the defeat in the final a g a i n s t Algeria in

Morocco aiming to end 50 years of hurt

facilities set to be used for the 2030 World Cup, which they will co-host with Portugal and Spain – finally yield the ultimate con tinental prize. Morocco has held the top ranking in Africa since becoming the first African team to reach the World Cup semifinals in Qatar in 2022, and last year set a new record with 19 consecutive wins. However, Senegal pose a significant threat, boasting a formidable squad that has lost only one of its last 34 international matches – a defeat to Brazil in London two months ago. Tomorrow’s showdown in Rabat marks their third final appearance in the last four editions, with their line-up featuring many experienced key players, most notably talisman Sadio Mane. Despite their recent dominance,

MOROCCO will seek to cement their status as one of Africa’s premier foot balling nations and finally overcome a half-century of disappointment when they face Senegal in tomorrow’s Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) final. For over a decade, the North African country has been a formidable presence on the continent’s football stage, consis tently securing victories across various competitions and establishing significant political and financial influence. However, despite their widespread ascendancy, the Cup of Nations has remained a notable weak point, with Morocco often entering as favourites only to falter. The nation now hopes to see its sub stantial investment in players and infra structure – including recently upgraded