Afcon 2017: Sadio Mané’s ‘gift from God’ heightens expectations on Senegal | Jonathan Wilson


Liverpool winger Sadio Mané gives Senegal an unpredictable edge that has helped them reach the quarter-finals in Gabon after only two matches

As soon as Tunisia’s win over Algeria was over, the Senegal fans filed into a corner of the stadium. They had no need to wait – one ticket gets you into both parts of the double-header – but some sense of courtesy seemed to hold them back. They are, after all, by some way the noisiest fans in Group B and within seconds of turning their block of seats yellow, green and red, had set up a rhythmic drumming and whistling that they maintained until the final whistle. By then, the game had long since been won: 2-0 was no measure of Senegal’s superiority and, with better finishing, they could easily have won by two or three times that. As it is, they are through to the quarter-finals with a game to play and guaranteed to top the group.

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