Liverpool stars Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane were at the centre of a heated confrontation during the Africa Cup of Nations semi-final between Egypt and Senegal. The incident occurred in the first half when Salah fouled his former teammate, sparking a melee that required both players to act as peacemakers to separate the benches.
Salah was penalised for tripping Mane as the Senegal forward attempted to counter-attack near the Egyptian bench. Sunderland's Habib Diarra was booked for his role in the altercation and will miss the final if Senegal progress. The match remained goalless at half-time.
The semi-final was a repeat of the 2021 AFCON final, which Senegal won on penalties. Mane, who left Liverpool for Bayern Munich in 2022, scored the decisive goal to send Senegal through, while Egypt's wait for an AFCON title extends beyond 16 years.
Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp previously commented on the relationship between Salah and Mane, stating they were not best friends but supported each other on the pitch. In his autobiography, Roberto Firmino described Mane as the most explosive of the trio, with himself as the peacemaker.
