Fans react as Tottenham Hotspur loanee Pape Matar Sarr wins Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal
As confirmed by the club’s official website, Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Pape Matar Sarr won the Africa Cup of Nations last night as Senegal beat Egypt on penalties in the final.
Senegal shrugged off the disappointment of missing a first-half penalty and came back to beat Egypt in a penalty shootout, after 120 minutes of action which did not see any goals from either side.
Pape was an unused substitute in the game but received an Africa Cup of Nations winners’ medal. The player now has five senior caps to his name for the Lions of Teranga.
The teenager made his first appearance in the tournament in the semi-final against Burkina Faso, coming off the bench in the second half as his late cameo helped Senegal ease past their opponents with a 3-1 win.
AFCON glory for Pape
Pape signed for Tottenham the previous summer from Ligue 1 side Metz, and the 19-year-old was sent back on loan to his previous club for the entirety of the 2021/22 season. The Senegal international is expected to rejoin Spurs at the end of the campaign.
The midfielder will look to kick on from here, having tasted international success for the first time on such a big platform. Spurs will have kept a keen eye on the starlet during the Africa Cup of Nations and will expect him to perform at the same level for the club as well.
Next season’s return to N17 for Pape will be crucial, as manager Antonio
Conte decides what to do regarding the player’s future. The former Metz man was signed by the club when Nuno Espirito Santo was in charge of the club, but when Pape heads back to north London, he will be greeted by the Portuguese coach’s successor in Conte.
The Italian boss has made his mark on the squad within the space of one transfer window, bringing in Serie A stars Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Benctancur, and sanctioning the loan departures of three first-team stars till the end of the season.
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Pape will need to impress Conte during the pre-season phase in the summer, and prove that the player has a future with Spurs. The Italian is keen on adding quality players to his side to turn them into title contenders, and so Pape will need to bring his A-game to ensure he remains in Conte’s plans for next season.
Let us now see how fans reacted to this news as they took to Twitter to express their views.
