Talisman Sadio Mané secured Senegal’s ticket to the final of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations, courtesy of his lone goal in a 1-0 win against Egypt in the semi-final, at the Grand Stade of Tangier in Morocco.
As expected, the first half was tense. Egypt sat deep in a low block and waited for Senegal, who struggled to put together their attacking moves. Nicolas Jackson fired a shot from the edge of the box in the 19th minute, but his effort sailed over the crossbar.
A notable moment of the first half was the injury-forced exit of Senegal captain Kalidou Koulibaly in the 23rd minute. Earlier, he had received a yellow card that will rule him out of the final. At halftime, Senegal and Egypt were still level.
Both coaching staffs made their first changes at the start of the second half. Habib Diarra made way for Lamine Camara for Senegal, while Trezeguet came on for Ahmed Fatouh for Egypt.
On the pitch, the pattern remained the same: Senegal dominated possession and pressed forward, while Egypt continued to defend resolutely. Eventually, the Pharaohs paid the price for a brief lapse in concentration.
In the 78th minute, Senegal took the lead when Mané struck from the edge of the penalty area, placing the ball just inside the post beyond El Shenawy.
Egypt coach Hossam Hassan threw on his remaining attacking options late in the game, but Senegal held firm. Egypt registered their first shot on target in stoppage time (90+5’), comfortably saved by Edouard Mendy.
With this narrow but valuable victory, the Lions of Teranga book its place in the final of the 2025 AFCON — their third final in the last four editions since 2019. They will face Morocco in the final.
“From the start, we did it together. We avoided making individual errors or committing unnecessary fouls,” said Man of the Match Mane. “I think we managed the game well from start to finish and, overall, we deserved to win.”
“We have to be honest about the final and I think all the teams are amazing. We’ll see, and we’ll try to be ready for the final, above all to give our best.”
For Egypt, the dream of a record-extending eighth title ends in tears once again. Mohamed Salah and his teammates must now pick themselves up for the third-place playoff, where they will face the Super Eagles of Nigeria on Saturday.
“I am really proud of my players who really displayed good character against a tough opponent,” Egypt coach Hossam Hassan said.
“I have just told my players that I am proud of them because they defended the Egyptian flag and the Egyptian people with apt of courage. Senegal played very well and I can’t take anything away from them as they played well today”