Mane’s rocket-propelled pen: The act of LFC’s ultimate mentality monster

Liverpool’s Sadio Mane had spoken about learning from experience in the days leading to Senegal’s Africa Cup of Nations final with Egypt, but even he never imagined the circumstances of Sunday night at the Olembe Stadium.

You wonder what went through his head as he made that long walk from the halfway line, departing from his expectant team-mates, and with the weight of an entire nation on his shoulders.

Senegal had never come this close to AFCON success. For sure, they had played in two finals before Sunday, losing on spot-kicks against Cameroon’s golden generation two decades back and failing to recover from Algeria’s early effort in 2019.

However, they never came within a single kick of sealing a first continental crown against the Indomitable Lions in 2002, failing to convert three of their five penalties.

Undeniably, Mane was in uncharted territory.

Eyeball to eyeball with Egypt No.1 Mohamed Abou Gabal, or Gabaski, there must have been nerves buried beneath Mane’s poker-faced demeanour.

He was face to face with the inspiring Pharaohs goalkeeper, whose in-game expertise and prowess from 12 yards gave the North Africans a slight edge.

It was Gabaski who came up trumps in Egypt’s penalty success against Ivory Coast in the Round of 16 — thwarting Eric Bailly — before repeating the trick in their elimination of tournament hosts Cameroon, saving two spot-kicks.

Indeed, the Zamalek goalkeeper was in his element.

Mane had experienced this first-hand, too. With Senegal given the chance to do to Egypt what Algeria had done to them three years ago by deflating the North Africans’ spirits with an early goal, the team’s top scorer was thwarted from the spot by Gabaski.

Mind games from Mohamed Salah.

He knows his #LFC team-mate