Mane has a gift from God

LIBREVILLE. — As soon as Tunisia’s win over Algeria was over at the African Cup of Nations on Thursday, the Senegal soccer fans filed into a corner of the stadium.

They had no need to wait – one ticket gets you into both parts of the double-header – but some sense of courtesy seemed to hold them back. They are, after all, by some way the noisiest fans in Group B and within seconds of turning their block of seats yellow, green and red, had set up a rhythmic drumming and whistling that they maintained until the final whistle.

By then, the game had long since been won: 2-0 was no measure of Sen- egal’s superiority and, with better finishing, they could easily have won by two or three times that. As it is, they are through to the quarter-finals with a game to play and guaranteed to top the group.

The only lull in the Senegalese din came during the national anthem as they rhythmically patted the air in front of them, either bare-armed or with enormous inflatable orange hands.

Gabon is home to thousands of ex-pats from other west and central African nations – to the extent that a shop is known as “un Malien” – and many of the local taxis sport the flags of Burkina Faso, DR Congo, Cameroon and Senegal. This wasn’t a huge crowd, but it was one that cared, local Senegalese mingling with the (semi-)official fan clubs.

They were treated to a comfortable Senegal victory. With Sadio Mané on one flank and Keita Baldé on the other, they attacked with pace, looking far more fluent than any other side up till now in the tournament (perhaps helped by the Franceville pitch, which is probably the best in Gabon).

Zimbabwe, admittedly without looking defensively secure, had impressed in drawing against Algeria but they were cut apart again and again particularly in the first half-hour. — The Guardian