Mohamed Salah vs Sadio Mane: Which Liverpool star will shine in the AFCON final?

Seb Sternik
4 February 2022

Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane at the Africa Cup of Nations

The build-up to the Africa Cup of Nations final will be dominated by two Liverpool forwards. Question is, which one has the edge ahead of Sunday's showpiece?

There are many similarities when it comes to Mane and Salah. Both men are Liverpool players. Both are Premier League and Champions League winners. But perhaps the most interesting similarity is the fact they're both Africa Cup of Nations runners-up.

Salah was part of the Egypt side which fell to a 2-1 defeat against Cameroon in the 2017 final.

Mane, meanwhile, played in the 2019 final as Senegal were beaten 1-0 by Algeria.

This Sunday, the two Liverpool forwards will go head-to-head as they both target their first major international title.

Here, we take a look at how both men perform on the international stage, and assess which one could have the most impact in the final.

Salah leads goal totals, but lacks consistency

A quick look at the stats underlines Mo Salah's dominance when it comes to scoring goals. The Egyptian forward has found the back of the net 47 times in 81 international appearances.

His Liverpool team-mate has made a total of 86 appearances for Senegal, but has only 29 goals to his name.

However, a closer look at the numbers reveals that while Mane's goals for Senegal have come on a consistent basis, Salah's output has been steadily declining.

The Egypt forward scored 85% of his international goals between 2012 and 2018. However, since the start of 2019, Salah has only found the back of the net on six occasions.

In contrast, Mane is enjoying one of his strongest periods on the world scene.

He averaged two goals a year from 2012 to 2020, but has since become more prolific, bagging eight goals in the last 14 months.

Mane the man in form

If anyone is going to set the final stage alight, it's going to be Sadio Mane.

The 29-year-old has scored three goals in the tournament and has enjoyed a stellar run with the national team since the start of 2021.

In his last 15 international outings, Mane has bagged eight goals and produced three assists.

Salah, meanwhile, has four goals in 13 games since the start of 2021 - two of those having come at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations.

While you can never underestimate the Premier League's top scorer, it would appear that his team-mate is the one who holds the edge ahead of Sunday's showpiece event.