AFCON, not Anfield: Why Salah and Mane’s rivalry still matters most
When Egypt face Senegal in Morocco, the backdrop will be familiar but the stakes unchanged. Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane have shared dressing rooms, trophies and global attention. Now they meet again with a continental title on the line.
For Salah, the Africa Cup of Nations remains the clearest gap on an otherwise decorated résumé. Liverpool are waiting for his return, but for now his focus is fixed elsewhere.
“I have won almost every honour in the game,” Salah said after Egypt’s quarter-final win, “but this is the one I am waiting for.”
His late strike in the 3–2 victory over Ivory Coast, reported by GOAL.com, sent Egypt through and sparked wild celebrations behind the dugout. It also set up another collision with Senegal and with Mane.
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Success, without closeness
At Liverpool, Salah and Mane formed part of one of the most productive attacking trios in Europe alongside Roberto Firmino. Under Jurgen Klopp, they delivered a Champions League title and ended a 30-year league wait.
Yet their relationship was never especially warm. In his autobiography, Firmino wrote that the pair “were never best friends” and that “it was rare to see the two of them talking.” He later described his own role as a go-between, smoothing tensions when competition inevitably surfaced.
One moment in particular lingered. During a 2019 league match at Burnley, Mane’s frustration spilled over after Salah opted to shoot rather than pass. Firmino later explained that the irritation had been building for some time, not sparked by a single decision.
Still, he stressed that standards never slipped. According to Firmino, the pair “always acted with the utmost professionalism,” even when personal chemistry was limited.
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From club tension to continental pressure
That dynamic followed them onto the international stage. In 2022, Senegal twice defeated Egypt on penalties — first in the Africa Cup of Nations final and later in a World Cup qualifying play-off. Mane converted decisive kicks on both occasions but immediately went to console Salah after the final in Cameroon, a moment that undercut claims of personal animosity.
Mane has consistently played down talk of a feud. Speaking on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, he said, “I think Mo is also a very nice guy,” while acknowledging that disagreements between elite scorers were unavoidable. In his view, competition pushed Liverpool forward rather than pulling it apart.
Different expectations, same burden
Salah has been candid about how international success defines his legacy. After the Ivory Coast match, he said it mattered to him that “the Egyptians [are] proud of what I did in the game,” adding, “I have achieved everything except this title.”
Mane understands the pressure. He has previously said that winning AFCON was the moment he finally felt respected in Senegal, calling it the greatest achievement of his career. In many African countries, national-team success carries a weight that club football simply does not.
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That shared understanding sharpens the significance of another meeting.
One more meeting
Salah arrives in form, directly involved in multiple goals during Egypt’s run. Mane remains Senegal’s focal point and emotional leader. The squads around them differ in depth, but the symbolism is hard to miss.
This is not a rivalry defined by hostility. It has been shaped instead by ambition, expectation and two careers that keep intersecting at decisive moments.
For Salah and Mane, AFCON is not a subplot. It is the stage where legacies tilt — and where one more result could change how both are remembered.
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Sources: GOAL.com, player interviews, Roberto Firmino autobiography
