, edging Mali 1–0 in a tense quarter-final clash.){kind=link}
Senegal booked its place in the semi-finals of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), edging Mali 1–0 in a tense quarter-final clash, on Friday night at the Grand Stade de Tanger in Morocco.
In a fiercely contested West African derby, the breakthrough came in the 27th minute when Iliman Ndiaye capitalised on a goalkeeping error from Mali’s Djigui Diarra inside the penalty area.
Ndiaye reacted quickest to the loose ball and calmly finished from close range to score what proved to be the match-winning goal.
Mali’s task then became significantly more difficult moments before the interval when Yves Bissouma received a second yellow card in stoppage time, forcing the Eagles to play the entire second half with a numerical disadvantage.
Despite the setback, Mali reorganised defensively under Tom Saintfiet’s guidance and continued to search for a way back into the contest.
Senegal, however, managed the closing stages with maturity and control to secure their place in the last four of the competition, while Mali exited the tournament after a courageous and spirited quarter-final performance.
2021 AFCON winners, Senegal showed composure and tactical discipline to overcome a resilient Malian side.
With both teams battling intensely for control in midfield and clear chances at a premium, Senegal proved more decisive in the key moments.
“I am happy to have won this award but the most important thing is that we have progressed to the semi-finals of the competition,” Man of the Match Iliman Ndiaye said.
“We played very well today and it shows that we are improving match after match. I am confident that my colleagues and I will focus on the next match to play at our best level and deliver for our fans.”
Senegal will face Saturday’s winner between Egypt and holders Cote D’Ivoire.