Mohamed Salah suffered more Africa Cup of Nations heartbreak as his Egypt side were dumped out at the semi-final stage by Sadio Mane’s Senegal.
Mane scored the only goal 12 minutes from time in a tense clash at Tangier Grand Stadium in Morocco to send his country through to Sunday’s final.
Defeat prolongs Salah’s misery at AFCON, the major omission from the Egyptian star’s trophy cabinet after winning everything during his time at Liverpool.
Egypt are the most successful country in AFCON history as seven-time champions but have not lifted the trophy since 2010, before Salah’s debut for his nation.
‘Nobody, even in Egypt, wants to win this trophy more than me,’ Salah said after helping his team beat Ivory Coast in the quarter-finals.
‘I have won almost every prize. This is the title I am waiting for.’
Mohamed Salah’s AFCON heartbreak continued as Egypt were beaten by Senegal
Salah’s former Liverpool team-mate Sadio Mane struck the decisive blow in a tense semi-final
His ex-Reds team-mate Mane has now got the better of him on three occasions at international level.
Mane scored the winning penalty to beat Egypt in the 2021 AFCON final, before Senegal overcame their rivals in a play-off for a place at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The two former Liverpool forwards shared a warm embrace before kick-off, despite Salah admitting last year that there was tension between them at Anfield.
But Salah sparked a row between the two dugouts with a foul on Mane towards the end of the first half.
Salah will not yet be able to return to Merseyside as Egypt play in the third-place play-off against the loser of the other semi-final between Morocco and Nigeria on Saturday.
