Senegal secured a spot in this year’s AFCON final after beating Burkina Faso 3-1, but are yet to win the African title despite coming close in 2019. However, their road in this year’s tournament has proven a lot easier than Egypt’s, who faced defeat at the hands of Nigeria in the opening game and faced heavy criticism from their fans for their performance.
Despite facing criticism from home fans early in the tournament, Egypt gained momentum as the tournament proceeded, edging Ivory Coast through a penalty shootout during the round of 16. Egypt also edged out Morocco 2-1 in the quarter-finals, before beating the hosts, Cameroon in the semi-final on Thursday.
Egypt’s Mohamed Salah has long expressed his strong desire to take the continental trophy home, which has evaded him so far. Mane, on the other hand, has beamed with joy after his team won the semi-final on Wednesday, giggling with delight during the post-match press conference. That makes this AFCON fixture an interesting match to wager on with 1Xbet in 2022 for anyone who wants to get a piece of the action besides watching the game live.
Why Back Senegal?
Senegal has emerged as the favorite for this matchup as it has skilled players at every level. Their talent starts at the net, with Chelsea’s star Edouard Mendy being hard to beat. The 2021world Goalkeeper of the Year ranks second in the premier league with 81% saves and 24 clean sheets throughout his 51 starts for Chelsea in the last two seasons.
Sane is Senegal’s on-field leader who put away the match after Burkina Faso pulled a goal. Sane broke free on a counter-attack, chipping the ball over the keeper to seal the win in the 87th minute. Senegal also features a Turkish league star player Famara Diedhio, who ranks second on the team after recording eight goals for his team in 2021. Additionally, the team features other international stars like Ismaila Sarr, Abdou Diallo, and Kalidou Koulibaly.
Why Back Egypt?
Egypt can count on incredible moments from Mohamed Salah, who recorded several near-misses while playing Cameroon on Thursday. The Egyptian captain can score from every angle, currently leading the EPL with 16 goals and second on assists.
The Pharaohs look ready to bag the title this year, with their goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shenawy being among the best full-time starters in the AFCON with 93.8% saves. El-Shenawy has 85% saves in his international career with Egypt, recording 18 clean sheets in his 32 games. Additionally, Egypt has the services of Mostafa Mohamed who has scored 13 goals in 33 games with the Turkish Super League team, Galatasaray. As such, the team can cause issues in Senegal’s defense.
