Sadio Mane AFCON final penalty saved after Mohamed Salah tells keeper where to dive | Football | Sport
Mohamed Salah put club allegiances aside to help Egypt goalkeeper Mohamed Abou Gabal save Sadio Mane’s penalty just minutes into the Africa Cup of Nations final. Senegal were awarded a spot-kick when Egypt right-back Mohamed Abdelmonem chopped down his marker Saliou Ciss, a challenge that left the referee in no doubt…
Moments later, The Pharaohs’ captain Salah entered the fray and consulted his goalkeeper Gabaski, who has already had success at saving spot-kicks at various stages of the tournament.
He was keen to provide the inside track on his Liverpool team-mate Mane and where he might put the resulting penalty.
Mane was then keen to disrupt the conversation, exchanging words with Gabaski as the mind games between the pair began.
Yet it was Egypt who won the mental battle of whits when Gabaski guessed correctly, diving to his right to beat away Mane’s stinging drive from 12-yards.
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Mane continued his angry tirade on the bench as James Milner attempted to calm him down.
Speaking on Friday, Klopp made it clear the Liverpool squad would be watching the spectacle closely back on Merseyside.
The German has no qualms about the pair’s involvement at AFCON potentially affecting their end-of-season form as Liverpool target silverware – starting with this month’s Carabao Cup final.
He said: “These two boys are real warriors. They are constantly ready, they are both not worried about holidays or days off. I never heard them ask about it.
“So with these two boys it is really simple. I know they want to play immediately but together with them we have to find out how much sense it makes.
“You can imagine both want to play against Leicester, to score goals and win games for Liverpool.
“But it’s a few days until we have to make a decision.”
