Mo Salah Helps Egypt Keeper Stop Sadio Mane Penalty In AFCON Final

Senegal's Sadio Mane missed a penalty in the final of AFCON 2021 after Liverpool teammate Mo Salah appeared to advise Egypt's goalkeeper where to dive.

Egypt's AFCON penalty-saving hero struck again on Sunday as Mohamed Abou Gabal denied Sadio Mane from the spot early in the final.

Gabal had saved three penalties to help Egypt win shootouts against Ivory Coast and Cameroon earlier in the tournament.

And he was called upon again in the seventh minute, after Egypt defender Mohamed Abdel Monem had fouled Senegal's Saliou Ciss inside the 18-yard box.

There was a two-minute delay between the award of the penalty and it being taken.

During this time, Egypt captain Mohamed Salah was spotted in conversation with his goalkeeper, seemingly offering him advice as to how to stop Mane's penalty.

Lolz. Salah tells his keeper how to save a Mane penalty. Keeper then saves it. All past alliances are off in this one 😉 pic.twitter.com/9IaUnV6u66

— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) February 6, 2022

Salah will know Mane's game better than most as the pair have been teammates at Liverpool since 2017.

But club loyalties count for nothing when international glory is on the line (see Cristiano Ronaldo triumphantly winking after Manchester United teammate Wayne Rooney was sent off during England vs Portugal at the 2006 World Cup).

Mane did not look particularly impressed as he stood nearby Salah and Gabal while they plotted his downfall. The Senegal talisman even covered his mouth as he said something back to the goalkeeper. 

Whatever Salah told Gabal appeared to do the trick as the goalkeeper blocked Mane's spot-kick to keep the score tied at 0-0.

And it remained 0-0 all the way to the end of extra time, meaning more penalties were required.

Salah did not take a penalty in the shootout, but Mane redeemed himself by scoring the winner to secure a first ever AFCON triumph for Senegal.