Senegal vs Egypt Preview: Kick-off time, TV channel, squad news

Liverpool stars Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah go head-to-head when Senegal and Egypt collide in the African Cup of Nations final at Olembe Stadium on Sunday.

As they are part of a marauding Liverpool attack, Mane and Salah will be on opposite sides on Sunday as they search for continental glory for the first time.

For their much-revered football exploits, the Teranga Lions have never won the Afcon finals, and they will be in search of their maiden title.

After being runners-up in 2002 and 2019, they will be up against Egypt who are gunning for a record-extending eighth Afcon crown.

That makes Sunday’s clash between a Senegal side composed of European-based stars and an Egypt squad predominantly made up of local league footballers an enticing affair.

TV Channel, Live Score & How To Watch

Squads & Team News

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No injuries or Covid-19 cases have been recorded in the Senegal camp ahead of Sunday’s match.

That gives coach Aliou Cisse something positive as they head into this important fixture.

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The Egypt camp is not in a state they might have wanted going into such a crucial match.

Coach Carlos Queiroz will not be on the bench after being sent off in the semi-final against Burkina Faso.

To make matters worse, assistant coach Roger De Sa will also not be available as he is serving a four-match ban which started in the match against the Stallions.

The Pharaohs will miss the services of defender injured Ahmed Hegazy, and Zamalek centre-back Mahmoud El Wensh is set to partner Mohamed Abdelmonem in central defence.

Also, right-back Omar Kamal is definitely out due to the accumulation of yellow cards and Emam Ashour is likely to step in for him.

Another right-back Akram Tawfik remains out injured.

Then there is the business with Egypt's goalkeepers, where Zamalek's Gabaski is almost sure to start in place of the injured Mohamed El Shenawy.

Gabaski was the hero of the last match against Cameroon as he saved two penalties to send the Pharaohs to the final.

Match Preview

South African referee Victor Gomez has been entrusted with responsibilities to handle this match.

He will be assistant by compatriot Zakhele Siwela and Souru Phatsoane from Lesotho, while Jean-Jacques Ndala from DR congo will be the fourth official.

Sunday’s match will be the second-straight Afcon final for Senegal as they lost to Algeria at the last Afcon edition in Egypt in 2019.

The Teranga Lions started this competition on an uninspiring note but gained momentum as the tournament progressed.

After a stoppage-time penalty helped them edge Zimbabwe 1-0 in their first group game, Cisse’s men went on to record goalless draws against Guinea and Malawi.

Having managed just one goal in the group stage, they still found passage into the Round of 16 where they beat Cape Verde 2-0, before dismissing Equatorial Guinea 3-1 in the quarter-finals.

Then, a 3-1 victory over Burkina Faso earned them a place in the final.

Egypt, on the other hand, started the tournament by losing 1-0 to then-title favourites Nigeria before 1-0 wins over Guinea-Bissau and Sudan in the other group fixtures.

All their knockout matches have gone beyond 90 minutes, first beating Ivory Coast via a penalty shootout following a 0-0 draw in the Roud of 16.

That was followed by a 2-1 extra-time victory over Morocco, another tournament favourite, before a 0-0 draw against hosts Cameroon led to a penalty shootout victory as well.

Star player Salah go into this match with two goals to his name in this competition, while Mane has three goals.

The last time Senegal and Egypt met was in November 2014 and the Teranga Lions won 1-0 in a 2015 Afcon qualifier.

After Sunday’s final, the two sides will meet again later this year in their bids to qualify for the 2022 Fifa World Cup over two legs.