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The Guardian // Sport // Football

How Sadio Mané’s calm saved the Afcon final from absolute chaos | Jonathan Wilson

Monday 19th January 2026, 3:43PM

The veteran is known for his sense of responsibility and it was apparent as his Senegal teammates threatened to quit African football’s showpieceSign up for Soccer with Jonathan Wilson hereSadio Mané has done many great things for Senegal and for Senegalese football, but what he did on Sunday evening, in what he confirmed would be his last Africa Cup of Nations game, was perhaps greater than his winning goal in Wednesday’s semi-final, greater than his penalty to win the World Cup qualifying playoff against Egypt in 2022, greater even than his decisive penalty in the 2021 final.When Senegal stormed off the pitch in protest at the award of a penalty against them eight minutes into added time at the end of the Cup of Nations final, African football faced a crisis. For this to happen at all was embarrassing, for it to happen in the final of the confederation’s showpiece would have been a humiliation

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