Former Liverpool team-mates Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane were at the center of a touchline row that led to suspensions during the AFCON clash. Mane was brought down by Salah as he tried to evade a tackle, and the Reds winger was clearly furious at the decision. The reaction was reflected on the sidelines, with both the Senegalese and Egyptian coaches having to be separated after a scuffle.
In the ensuing melee, Habib Diarra was shown a yellow card and, due to suspension, will miss either the third-place match or the final, depending on Senegal’s progress. Kalidou Koulibaly found himself in a similar predicament after receiving a caution, but the Senegalese captain was forced to leave the pitch immediately after receiving the caution due to injury.
The first 45 minutes of the semi-final between Egypt and Senegal were tense, with Salah being kept under wraps and Mane posing a huge threat.
He had 40 touches in the first half, created two chances and completed three passes into the final third. In contrast, Salah managed just 15 touches, his most notable contribution being a foul on Mane.
Although the two sides did not clash after the incident, it was clear that there was no love lost between the two Liverpool legends, and there was obvious tension between them on the pitch.
Despite this, just before the clash between Egypt and Senegal, Salah and Mane were seen hugging each other in the tunnel and exchanging a few words.
Roberto Firmino, who was active between the pair for several seasons, revealed the tensions between the two as professionals in his memoir ‘Si Señor: My Time at Liverpool’.
“I knew them well, probably better than anyone else. I was on the field, in the middle of them. I saw with my own eyes the looks, the grimaces, the body language, the frustration when one was angry at the other.”
“I felt it. In that moment I was the link between them and the firefighters with my attacking play. For many, the disagreement between Sadio and Mo (against Burnley) was the first. For some, it was the first and the last.”
“But I knew that this issue was brewing from the previous season, 2018-19. My instinct and duty was to defuse the situation between the two parties. Pouring water on the fire, never gasoline.”
Firmino continued: “They were never best friends. Each kept to himself. It was rare to see them talking, but I don’t know if that had something to do with the rivalry between Egypt and Senegal in the African Games.”
“I really don’t know. But they never stopped talking and never broke ties. They always acted with the utmost professionalism. I never took sides. That’s why they love me. I always gave the ball to both. My preference was for the team to win.”
