CAIRO (AP) Sadio Mane sent Senegal into the quarterfinals of the African Cup of Nations, where it will meet a Benin team that dumped out Morocco to start the knockout stages with a major upset on Friday.
[ AFCON: Benin through to QF after beating Morocco on penalties (video) ]
Mane scored early to give Senegal a 1-0 win over Uganda in their round-of-16 match at Cairo International Stadium. The Liverpool forward also had a second-half penalty saved, but it didn’t cost Senegal. Mane has three goals in three games at the African Cup in Egypt, and he’s also missed two penalties.
🇸🇳 Sadio Mane puts Senegal in front! #TotalAFCON2019
— beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) July 5, 2019
🇺🇬 Uganda 🆚 Senegal 🇸🇳
📺 beIN SPORTS
💻/📱 beIN SPORTS CONNECT pic.twitter.com/dasIdE9AmN
His winner against Uganda came in the 15th minute after Senegal intercepted possession and struck with a lightning-fast counterattack. Mbaye Niang set up an unmarked Mane, who slid the ball into the bottom right corner.
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Mane won a penalty in the 59th minute when he was taken out by Uganda goalkeeper Denis Onyango. Onyango, who was booked early in the game, escaped a second yellow and stayed on the field. He dived to his left to stop Mane’s penalty.
It didn’t matter in the end.
In the quarterfinals, Senegal will meet surprising Benin, which celebrated its first appearance in the knockouts with its first-ever win at the African Cup. Benin beat Morocco 4-1 on penalties after surviving a tumultuous time at Al Salam Stadium.