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Sadio Mane rose from a horrific head bump that left him dazed on the ground, possibly with a concussion, to score and help Senegal reach the quarter-finals of Tuesday’s Africa Cup of Nations.
Senegal beat Cape Verde 2-0, with two players sent off in their last 16 games in the western Cameroonian city of Bafoussam. The Liverpool star didn’t finish the game and was later taken to hospital, despite taking to social media to say he was fine.
Morocco beat Malawi 2-1 to follow Senegal into the quarterfinals. Morocco’s comeback was capped off by a miraculous free-kick from Paris Saint-Germain’s Achraf Hakimi, who rolled the ball over the wall into the top corner for the winning point in the 70th minute.
He ran to the Moroccan bench and bowed.
A crush outside the stadium left eight dead and seven others in serious condition in the Cameroon-Comoros last 16 as the Africa Cup of Nations continues, casting a layer on the continent’s top football championship shadow. There were questions about whether the day’s games would continue. After a moment of silence between the two, they did. Some players also wore black armbands.
“The eight people who died at the Orembe Stadium yesterday will forever remain in our memory,” Hakimi tweeted after the team’s victory. “While it was a happy day for our country after reaching the quarter-finals of the African Cup of Nations, football took a back seat today. Rest in peace.”
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In Senegal’s game against Cape Verde, Cape Verde’s second red card was lost to goalkeeper Wazingha when he rushed out of the box and tried to make a clearance with Mane chasing it. The players hit their heads badly while jumping in the air, and Wozingha suffered a concussion when he then tried to get up and was staggering around as a result.
Vozinha left on a stretcher, not seeing the red card referee Lahlou Benbraham lifted for him.
However, Mane landed face first after the collision, turned over, and lay on his back for a while, apparently dizzy, possibly a concussion.
Less than 10 minutes into the game, Mane got up in the 63rd minute and passed a corner kick over the far post to hit the crossbar with his right foot.
The Liverpool striker was eventually replaced in the 70th minute, clearly struggling. The blow to the head was severe enough for him to be taken away immediately, which was over 15 minutes.
Mane later posted a photo on Facebook of him smiling with Ozinha in the hospital, with the caption: “Everything is fine. Thank you all for your comments!” Ha stood by.
Without Mane, Senegal beat the Cape Verde nines with their second goal in stoppage time in Bambadio.
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Cape Verde faced off from the 21st minute when Patrick Andrade was sent off for a tackle on Pape Gueye. Cape Verde’s two red cards mean seven red cards have been dealt in the first five knockout matches of the Africa Cup of Nations. Has been sent off at least once in each of the past 16 games.
Mane’s injury has once again focused attention on how football can effectively and safely deal with concussions. The issue has been under the spotlight in recent years, with the game criticized for allowing players to continue playing after a dangerous head injury.
Cape Verde goalkeeper Wazingha got into an argument with the team doctor as he tried to help him off the pitch after the collision, insisting he wanted to continue the game even though he couldn’t even stand properly. They eventually persuaded him to stagger to the sidelines. The red card made sure he would not come back anyway.
Despite Hakimi’s pinpoint free-kick winning the game, Malawi opened the scoring with a stunning advantage of their own in Yaoundé when Gabadinho Mhango fired from the way out in the seventh minute field goal. That gave Xiaoyu a shocking lead on his debut in the knockout round of the Africa Cup of Nations.
Morocco has since dominated the game and should have won with more goals. Youssef En-Nesyri’s first-half injury-time header equalized and Hakimi’s class moment was enough.
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