Senegal is through to a second consecutive Africa Cup of Nations final after breaking Burkina Faso hearts in their last-four tie in Yaounde on Wednesday, Abdou Diallo, Idrissa Gana Gueye, and Sadio Mane scoring second-half goals to secure a 3-1 victory.
Africa's top-ranked national team, Senegal will find out
their opponents in Sunday's final on Thursday, when hosts Cameroon take on
Egypt in the second semi.
"We dedicate this win
to our people," said Senegal coach Aliou Cisse.
"We're satisfied this evening. Our dream is to win the trophy because that's what the boys merit given everything they've put into this."
Cisse's side had two penalties awarded in the first half
only for the Ethiopian referee to change his mind both times following a VAR
review. However, they went ahead just
after the midway point in the second period when Paris Saint-Germain defender
Diallo popped up in the box to produce a striker's finish.
The second arrived on 76 minutes as Mane provided a superb assist
for Gueye, also of PSG, to score, and Mane completed the palm late on after
Blati Toure had pulled a thing back.
Senegal's two possible final opponents are the most
successful sides in AFCON history with 12 titles between them, while the Lions
of Teranga are still searching for their first continental crown, two and a
half years after losing to Algeria in the final in Cairo.
"We knew it wasn't going to be at all easy to get to
two straight AFCON finals, but the most important for us now is to go all the
way and win it, whoever we come up against," said Mane.
Senegal's opponents here couldn't be
underestimated.
Burkina Faso has shown itself to be a talented young side and one driven by the desire to give joy to supporters in a country reeling after President Roch Marc Christian Kabore was overthrown in a military coup last week. That happened to a backdrop of a jihadist insurgency in the landlocked country, and their coach, Kamau Malo, talked of the events giving his platoon" added motivation".
They showed plenty of fight and matched their opponents for
long spells, but they didn't trouble Chelsea's Edouard Mendy in the Senegal
goal often enough.
Referee Bamlak Tessema
initially gave a spot-kick before changing his mind after a VAR review, as
Kouyate was able to resume but Koffi could not.
There's nothing to suggest he's seriously hurt, but he's undergoing further tests just so we can be reassured," said Malo, who said his side had enjoyed"a wonderful adventure".
Referee Tessema also
pointed to the spot in first-half injury time when a Gueye shot struck the arm
of Burkina Faso's Edmond Tapsoba in the area, but again he changed his mind
after a review of the images showed the defender's arm was in close to his
body.
The breakthrough arrived with 20 minutes left, Kalidou
Koulibaly trying an acrobatic attempt at a corner and inadvertently setting up
Diallo to score, beating substitute' keeper Soufiane Farid Ouedraogo.
Senegal's pressing made the second goal as Mane got to the
byline and set up Gueye, who just beat Bamba Dieng to the finish. It was always
going to be huge ask after that for the Stallions against a Senegal side who
had conceded only once in the whole tournament.
They did reduce the deficit eight minutes from time as Issa
Kabore's cross was diverted in by Toure's knee.
Mane had the final say, though, bursting clear
in the 87th minute to make it 3-1.
He'll find out on Thursday if he'll come up against his Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah and Egypt in the final.
Credit: pulse.ng
