Since Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah joined forces with Liverpool in 2017, they've combined to score 254 goals and powered one of England's most famous clubs to a sixth Champions League title and a first English title in the Premier League era.
In many ways, the two dynamic wingers are the faces of an era in English soccer. The story of Salah, one of the best players in EPL history, will forever be intertwined with Mane's career but on Sunday, one of these two club teammates will be the antagonist in the other's story.
Salah's Egypt, in their 10th AFCON Final, will meet Sane's Senegal, the soccer betting favorites, in their second straight final. While it's Salah who has garnered so much of the plaudits over the last few years, our picks and predictions are expecting Sunday to be Mane's day.
Senegal vs Egypt game info
• Location: Olembe Stadium, Yaounde, Cameroon
• Date: Sunday, February 6, 2022
• Time: 2:00 p.m. ET
• TV: fuboTV
Senegal vs Egypt betting tips
Read on for complete analysis
If you're signing up for a new sportsbook for some AFCON betting, here are two of the best welcome bonuses available:
USA: Sign up with Caesars and get your first bet matched up to $1,001! Claim Now
Canada: Bet $1, get $100 in free bets when you sign up with BetVictor! Sign Up Now
Senegal vs Egypt match odds
Senegal: +115
Egypt: +360
Draw: +180
Total: 2.5
Over: +210
Under: -270
Senegal vs Egypt betting preview
Weather
It will be a hot and clear night in Yaounde for the African Cup of Nations Final between Senegal and Egypt, with temperatures at kickoff expected to be around 75 degrees Fahrenheit with 60% humidity.
Injuries
Senegal: No injuries to report.
Egypt: Ahmed Hegazi CB (Questionable), Akram Tawfik CM (Out).
Senegal vs Egypt predictions
Side analysis
Salah is one of the best players on Earth and has staked his claim as the world's best this year, putting together his best season-to-date for Liverpool. He's scored twice in the African Cup of Nations and will be the best player on the pitch Sunday in Yaounde. However, don't let Salah's star presence cloud what has been abundantly clear from the start of the tournament: Senegal are the best team in the region.
Nicknamed The Lions of Teranga, Senegal were expected to contend for their first AFCON title prior to the tournament and since the end of a toothless group stage, they've come alive. They ended the group undefeated, with five points from three games. They then marched to the final largely untroubled, beating Cape Verde 2-0, Equatorial Guinea 3-1, and then Burkina Faso 3-1 in the semifinal.
Mane is the star and has led Senegal with three goals but they boast high-level talent at every level of the pitch.
He'll be joined up top by Famara Diedhiou, who has scored once already at AFCON and performs consistently for the national team, with four goals in three starts in World Cup qualifiers and three in one start in AFCON qualifiers. The front three will likely be rounded out by Bamba Dieng, a tireless forward who, along with Mane, will press Egypt's backline consistently.
Scarier yet for Egypt is Ismaila Sarr, who has played the role of super-sub for Senegal scoring once in 59 minutes this tournament. The young winger is rapid and direct and has caused havoc coming on late in games, with all three of Senegal's goals in the semifinal coming after Sarr came on around the hour mark.
For all of Senegal's talent going forward, they don't lose anything at the back. The midfield duo of Idrissa Gana Gueye and Cheikhou Kouyate is as solid as you can find in CAF, with the former in the 95th percentile or above in pressures and tackles among midfielders in Europe, while the latter ranks in the 98th percentile or above in blocks and clearances.
Should Egypt play through that strong midfield, Senegal's defense is backed by the dominant Kalidou Koulibaly, who has been one of Europe's best centerbacks for years, and Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, who has been among the world's best keepers this season.
While Senegal have the benefit of relying on a balanced, talented squad, it's a bit more simple for Egypt. Salah is at the heart of everything going forward and has to be relied upon heavily, and he's delivered thus far with two goals. Otherwise, it's all about remaining compact defensively, limiting high-danger chances, and slowing the game down with gamesmanship. That's shown throughout the knockout games, with all three requiring extra time (and two reaching penalties).
In order for Egypt's approach to work, they'll need Salah to deliver in attack (or force penalties, as they have twice already). It's impossible to doubt Salah's individual brilliance but he may be restricted here. Egypt will try to put Senegal into conflict, with Salah on one side and Omar Marmoush and Trezeguet overloading the other, but they have the defensive talent — and numbers in midfield — to deal with that.
Barring a performance for the ages from the Egyptian King, Senegal's excellent tournament should be topped off with their first African Cup of Nations title.
Prediction: Senegal (+115)
Over/Under analysis
This is more an endorsement of Senegal than anything else, but the side pick was fairly straightforward, such is their impressive play and talent at every level of the pitch. The total pick is similarly straightforward, with the final likely to be a tight affair.
The favorites Senegal have conceded the second-fewest goals in the tournament, allowing just two for an impressive per-90 mark of 0.33. They have both the best defender (Koulibaly) and goalkeeper (Mendy) in the region and went the first 400+ minutes of the tournament without conceding.
While Senegal have the talent, Egypt's defensive organization has been phenomenal. Like Senegal, they've conceded only twice and with the additional 90 minutes they've played in extra time, have an even better per-90 mark of 0.29 goals allowed.
Senegal are the best team Egypt have faced yet, but they've already answered two difficult tests in the knockout rounds. They first held an expansive, attacking Moroccon side to one goal in a 2-1 win, then had a clean sheet against AFCON's most productive attack in Cameroon, who had scored 11 goals in the five matches prior.
Don't count on a high-flying AFCON Final. Take the Under.
Prediction: Under 2.5 (-270)
Best bet
We've already highlighted Senegal's dangerous forwards, potentially dominant midfield, and genuinely elite talent at centerback and goalkeeper. Senegal to win in 90 minutes is our best bet, and it's worth further illustrating the gap that exists between the two finalists.
Senegal have scored the second-most goals, with nine, a mark made all the more impressive when considering they failed to score in their final two group stage games. Egypt have scored just four goals this tournament, with the eighth-lowest per-90 output, at 0.57, which is almost a full goal less than Senegal's per-90.
Senegal have won all three of their knockout stage games by multiple goals, rarely looking tested. Egypt, on the other hand, required penalties to advance past the Round of 16 against the Ivory Coast and the semifinals against Cameroon, while winning their quarterfinal match with Morocco 2-1. The balance Senegal boasts up-and-down the pitch is unmatched.
One of these two finalists have had a considerably easier time getting here, and they'll be the ones to win the African Cup of Nations on Sunday.
Pick: Senegal (+115)
