Sadio Mane is the King of Africa! The Lions of Teranga win the AFCON 2021 after the dramatic shootout

Senegal have won the Africa Cup of Nations thus defeating Egypt in the dramatic showpiece on Sunday night! The match was decided in a penalty shootout, 4-2, after a goalless draw after the full time!

This is the Lions of Teranga's maiden AFCON title, and a much-deserved following a brave and powerful performance in the finals against a superb, defence-oriented Pharaohs.

Sadio Mane went from zero to hero, after missing an early penalty, before scoring the one worth the AFCON 2021 title in the shootout.

Abdelmonem and Lasheen failed to score from the spot for Egypt, while sensational Gabaski stopped Sarr's shot, but it was not enough for Mohamed Salah to lift the championship trophy.

Uhh, so close yet so far away... (©Gallo images)

Such a tragedy... (©AFP)

Straight from the kickoff, it was a rather hectic game, with Senegal pushing heavily to score an early opener. And they were so close, following a deserved penalty after Abdelmonem clumsily took down Saliou Ciss on the left flank six minutes into the game.

Sadio Mane had a small talk with Egypt's keeper Mohamed Abou Gabal, better known as Gabaski, prior to the shot, but it seems he didn't fool him at all. A bit of help came through Mane's Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah, who advised Gabaski on how to stop it.

Instead, Gabaski turned to his right and stopped Mane's strong yet imprecise strike. It changed the finals' momentum, forcing both sides to be more careful and much oriented to defending.

Still, the Lions of Teranga stroke once again soon after through Ismaila Sarr, but his decent mid-range effort didn't bother Big Gabaski too much.

On the other end, the Pharaohs struggled to connect their lines in offence, let alone create a sole chance for scoring.

Mo Salah seemed isolated in the attack, but his jaw-dropping Maradona-like run near the 30th-minute mark left at least four of Senegalese defenders in the dust. His finishing, however, was not on the same level which helped Edouard Mendy to get a hold of the ball quite easily.

Aliou Cisse's players continued their dominance in the midfield, moving the ball very pleasingly from one place to another, but the fluidity wasn't followed with a necessary sharpness and attitude in the danger zone.

Diedhiou's header, following a spot-kick from the left, was fine, but for a keeper of Gabaski's quality - and a state of self-confidence which is obviously sky-high - they needed much more to break the deadlock.

Something exquisite like that Salah's peculiar strike near the half-time break, which was only denied by Mendy's spectacular save.

Kouyate missed the last opportunity in the first half to write his name on the scoresheet as the ball suddenly came to him 20 yards out, with plenty of time and place to engage seriously, but his missile went wide.

With their head coach Carlos Queiroz forced to watch the entire match from the stands (because of that semifinal red card), nervously playing with pen and pencil, the Pharaohs were under severe opponents' attack straight from the whistle. Mane was taken down near the edge of the box, but Gueye's dreadful free-kick from a splendid position caused an instant relief among the reds. The same player stepped up again shortly after, this time failing to put some more strength into what could have been a massive challenge for Gabaski.

Unsurprisingly, his goalkeeping skills were put under scrutiny just a minute or two later, as Diedhiou caused chaos in Egypt's area. The ball seemed to be heading straight to Mane's left before Gabaski jumped and grabbed it like a true world-class custodian.

Faced with an obvious lack of energy thanks to tiredness, Queiroz decided to make as many as three subs around the 60th minute. It soon paid off in a way, as the Pharaohs found themselves with probably the most promising goal-scoring opportunity until then. It was a long cross, Abdelmonem was left without a single opposing defender in sight, but his header was somewhere between poor and horrible.

The same can be said for Marwan Hamdy, who should have hit it more accurately following a lovely Trezeguet's cross to the far post.

It was anything but a one-sided game anymore, with Egypt proving they're a proper title contender, although incapable of scoring a late winner, just like their counterparts, which led the fixture straight to expected over time.

As soon as the tie resumed, Senegal were so close to scoring thanks to a second-half substitute Bamba Dieng, but Gabaski was excellent again, putting a stop to that sharp strike going to the bottom far corner. The same rivals were one on one 10 minutes later, only this time it was Dieng's header that Pharaohs keeper denied it just a few inches away from the line. 

His counterpart Mendy demonstrated his brilliance late in the second extra time, sending the finals to climatic penalty drama.

The teams were tied after the third round of penalties, with one miss on each side, but Mendy's save of Lasheen's strike in the penultimate round proved crucial. Mane stepped up then, and, unlike before, nailed it perfectly for ecstatic celebration and Senegal's first-ever AFCON title.

AFCON 2021 - FINALS

Senegal - Egypt 4-2 (0-0, 0-0)

SEN: Koulibaly - goal, Diallo - goal, Sarr - missed, Dieng - goal, Mane - goal

EGY: Zizo - goal, Abdelmonem - missed, Hamdy - goal, Lasheen - missed