Senegal forward Sadio Mane says they knew it will not be easy to beat Kenya in the final Group C match of the Africa Cup of Nations finals on Thursday.
The Liverpool winger missed a penalty before scoring twice to add to Ismaila Sarr’s opener as the Lions of Teranga cruised to a comfortable 3-0 win at the 30 June Stadium.
“They are a team who ran a lot, who were well placed, and they obviously wanted to qualify. We knew that wouldn’t be easy,” Mane told Goal after the match.
“I think that - in my head, I am relaxed. I don’t have doubt in my head, maybe it can happen, to be more stressed. It doesn’t happen to me in football, to miss a penalty, but the important thing in football is how you react.
“You know my feelings, the important is to get the three points. The first half wasn’t easy, the team were compact, but we created many chances and finally scored three goals and we deserved to win.”
The result means Senegal, runners-up in the group behind Algeria, advance to a last 16 meeting with Uganda, while Kenya must wait and see if they progress as one of the best third-placed sides.
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