All the competitions always come to a close. That is just how it is meant to be. No matter how brilliant the players may seem or how great the fans supported the game. This is then similar fate which the Afcon is going to face. After probably one of the best showing the competition has seen in a very long while, it is set to draw to a close with two of the best teams in the competitions slugging it out for the ultimate crown. The sad part of all this is that at the end of the day, both are deserving of the title but the only one will go home with it on the night and the other will end up broken-hearted. It is set to be an absolute classic in Afcon as Senegal take on the desert Foxes one last time.
Senegal
Senegal is in the finals and boy do they deserve it. They have played their hearts to reach this stage and look every inch like champions. However, there is just one small problem which they face and that is overcoming Algeria. If you remember quite well, they have played Algeria early on in this competition. That match ended up in Algeria's form after a 1-0 winner put them in complete control of the group. Now they meet again and Senegal would want to have the final laugh by winning when it matters the most. Algeria, however, would surely have other plans of their own.
Algeria
Algeria has been the standout team of this competition. They have steamrollered their opponents and have failed to lose a single game. Better yet, their defense has shown themselves to be especially strong. They have only conceded twice in this competition and one of them was a penalty against Nigeria in the semifinals. However, they face a Senegal team who is currently ranked number one in Africa and earmarked for success in this Afcon. Another unique thing about these finalists is the fact that they both have stayed outside the finals for so many years.
Algeria would be anticipating their first final in a while. The last final which they were involved took place over 29 years. That is quite a lot. Winning this would be special and Mahrez has already pointed out earlier that one of their foremost goals is for then to make their people happy. Win the title and you have surely been able to achieve that. Senegal is in a similar situation. The last time that Senegal reached a final was 13 years ago and they lost that final. Their search for supremacy in Africa is one which would continue if they fail to win here.
With both teams firing on all cylinders in terms of their form, their form should matter less on the day. All that would matter is what happens on the pitch and how each team manages to recover from it. It is Senegal against Algeria for the title. It is Sadio Mane against Riyad Mahrez.
Comments