Egypt goalkeeper Gabaski has revealed what Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane said to him before the latter missed in his penalty in Sunday’s African Cup of Nations final.
The Pharaohs shot stopper was named Man of the Match in the AFCON final despite his side losing 4-2 on penalties to Senegal.
Gabaski, who plays for Zamalek at club level and was only in goal at AFCON because Egypt’s first-choice keeper Mohamed El Shenawy was out injured, memorably saved a penalty by Mane in the fifth minute of the game.
There was a scene before the spot kick when Egypt captain Salah appeared to tell his goalkeeper where his Liverpool teammate Mane would place the ball, only for the latter to join the conversation.
“Salah told me, ‘Mane will shoot to the right side, he is coming now because he knows what I am saying’,” Gabaski recalled, as MBC Egypt.
“Mane said to me: ‘I will shoot to the left,’ then Salah replied ‘Let’s see.’”
Mane did end up miss the penalty, hammering it straight down the middle, allowing Gabaski to make an important save.
However, the Senegal superstar later became the hero when converting the final penalty in his country’s 4-2 win the shootout.
