"I can't explain how tough it was for me, Mane said. I was sleeping four or five hours a night, five hours maximum. I had a big pressure in my head. I would go to bed and wake up maybe at 4am and I could not sleep any more Everybody knew I was obsessed about this tournament and wanted to win it with my country Thinking about this penalty I can say it was one of the hardest things in my life."
"The first three kicks were scored, then Egypt's Mohamed Abdelmonem hit the post. Mohamed Abou Gabal immediately saved from Bouna Sarr but Eduard Mendy saved the fourth Egyptian effort, from Mohanad Lasheen. After four penalties each, Senegal led 3-2; Sadio Mane had the chance to win it."
"On the halfway line, meanwhile, Mohamed Salah pulled the hem of his shirt over his head, covering his face. The game was lost before he'd even had the chance to take his kick. The Stade Abdoulaye Wade, Dakar, 29 March 2022, CAF World Cup qualifying playoff second leg. A fourth-minute Hamdy Fathy own-goal gave Senegal a 1-0 win, meaning the tie finished 1-1 on aggregate. Penalties again followed. Salah wasn't going to make the same mistake again and wait to take the fifth kick. After Kalidou Koulibaly had missed Senegal's opening effort, the forward, the green light of laser pens flickering across his face, blasted over. The outcome was the same as it had been seven weeks earlier: Mane scored the winning kick and prevailed"
The Africa Cup of Nations final in Yaounde finished 0-0 and went to penalties. Egypt missed one spot-kick while Senegal converted enough efforts to lead 3-2 before Sadio Mané took the decisive kick. Mané experienced extreme pressure and insomnia but used meditation, executed a long angled run and drilled his penalty low to win Senegal its first Afcon. Mohamed Salah reacted in visible distress and later faced another shootout in Dakar. In the World Cup qualifying playoff, an early own goal left the tie level, penalties followed, Salah missed and Mané again scored the winning kick.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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