Egypt goalkeeper Gabaski has revealed Mohamed Salah’s advice which helped him deny Sadio Mane’s early penalty in the Africa Cup of Nations Final.
Pharaohs captain Salah was seen in conversation with Gabaski as Mane stepped up from 12 yards aiming to give Senegal the lead.
The two players have been Liverpool colleagues for four-and-a-half years, so Salah felt he was able to predict which way his club teammate would go with the penalty.
Mane was visibly unimpressed by the conversation as he waited to take the penalty, and interjected to usher Gabaski back to his line.
The 29-year-old fired a powerful effort to the Egypt goalkeeper’s right – only for a strong hand to deny him the goal.
Mane’s missed penalty proved to be the best opportunity of a hard-fought final which grew more open towards the end of 90 minutes, which ended goalless.
Neither team were able to find a winning goal in extra time, so Egypt were taken to their third penalty shootout in four knockout stage matches.
While Gabaski made a good stop to deny Bouna Sarr, Mane made no mistake when the stakes were at their highest to convert the winning penalty and win Senegal their first AFCON title.
Gabaski, meanwhile, has reflected on the game and opened up on the advice he received from his skipper about how to deny Mane’s first-half penalty.
He told MBC Egypt, per Yallakora : “Salah told me: ‘Mane would shoot to the right side, he is coming now because he knows what I am saying.’
“Mane told me that he would shoot the ball on the left side, but Salah replied to him saying, ‘We’ll see… let’s make him punish you’. And it was a smart and correct response from Salah.”
Gabaski did not fall for Mane’s bluff and Salah was eventually vindicated as the penalty was saved to the goalkeeper’s right, handing Egypt a boost in the final.
