Senegalese forward, Sadio Mane goes head-to-head with star goalkeeper Denis Onyango when Senegal meet Uganda on Friday in an Africa Cup of Nations last-16 match in Cairo.
Senegalese Mane and Ugandan Onyango were included in the 2018 African team of the year chosen by a Confederation of African Football (CAF) panel.
They are also Champions League winners — Onyango with South African club, Mamelodi Sundowns in Africa three years ago, and Mane with Liverpool in Europe last season.
Mane has scored twice and missed a penalty for Senegal in two group matches after being suspended for the opening match.
“I am even ready to trade my Champions League success to win the Africa Cup of Nations,” he told France Football magazine in a pre-tournament interview.
Veteran Onyango has conceded three goals in three matches with another Liverpool star, Egyptian Mohamed Salah, among those who have scored against him.
Senegal v Uganda –
Senegal may top the African rankings, 58 places above Uganda, but coach Aliou Cisse has warned his star-stacked side against over-confidence.
“No one should take Uganda for granted and eliminating them will not be easy,” warned Cisse, one of the stars of the Teranga Lions team that reached the 2002 World Cup quarter-finals.
Mane echoed his coach, saying:
“We saw the kind of football they played against Egypt. They are a good side and we will need to be at our best to beat them.”
Uganda had Egypt on the rack for more than half an hour before Salah scored and were equally impressive in the second half without being able to convert chances into goals.
“We have reached the second round, which was the minimum target set for us by the national federation, and anything can happen in knockout matches,” said coach Sebastien Desabre.