By

Eniola Olatunji 

 

The Teranga Lions of Senegal on Wednesday night in Tangier, Morocco, brought an end to Egypt’s dream of lifting a record eighth Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title, courtesy of a narrow but well-deserved 1–0 victory in the semi-finals.

 

In the last AFCON match staged in the historic city of Tangier, Senegal turned the venue into a battlefield, halting the Pharaohs’ ambition of reaching a second consecutive AFCON final. The decisive moment arrived in the 78th minute when Senegalese talisman Sadio Mané unleashed a thunderous shot from the edge of the penalty arc, rifling home a precise pass and beating Egyptian goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy hands down as he sprawled helplessly on the turf.

 

The goal sparked wild celebrations among Senegalese players and fans, with Mané’s jubilant pose capturing the defining image of the night.

 

Mané’s heroics also crushed the hopes of his longtime Liverpool teammate, Mohamed Salah, whose quest to win an AFCON title now appears destined to end without success. Like Ivorian legend Didier Drogba, who never lifted the continental trophy during his illustrious career, Salah bows out of AFCON competition empty-handed—ironically after Ivory Coast won the title in 2023 following Drogba’s retirement. Reports indicate this match marked Salah’s final AFCON appearance.

 

On the pitch, Egypt never truly settled into the contest, seemingly content to drag the game toward penalties. The Pharaohs managed just one shot on target from four attempts, while Senegal dominated proceedings with 11 shots, four on target, and a commanding 65 percent possession. The West Africans also out-passed Egypt 534 to 304, earned six corners to Egypt’s one, and generally dictated the tempo of the match.

 

Questions will linger over the tactics of the Egyptian coach, who introduced his best attacking options only with 13 minutes of regulation time remaining. That brief spell coincided with Egypt’s only corner kick and their lone effort on target—far too little, too late.

 

Despite the victory, the news was not entirely positive for Senegal. Defensive anchor Kalidou Koulibaly picked up a yellow card in the 47th minute for a late challenge, while Habib Diarra was booked in the 71st minute for ungentlemanly conduct. Both suspensions rule the pair out of the AFCON final.

 

Senegal now await the winner of the second semi-final between Morocco and Nigeria, scheduled for Wednesday night in Rabat. Egypt, meanwhile, will contest the third-place playoff against the loser of that encounter.

 

The Teranga Lions’ journey to the semi-finals has been impressive. They scored 11 goals and conceded just two, keeping three clean sheets. Senegal beat Botswana 3–0, drew 1–1 with DR Congo, and thrashed Benin Republic 3–0 in the group stage before defeating Sudan 3–1 in the round of 16 and edging Mali 1–0 in the quarter-finals.

 

Egypt, for their part, scored nine goals and conceded four, recording two clean sheets. Their path included wins over Zimbabwe (2–1) and South Africa (1–0), a goalless draw with Angola, a 3–1 round-of-16 victory over Benin, and a dramatic 3–2 quarter-final triumph against Ivory Coast.

 

Historically, the two sides had met seven times prior to this clash, with each winning three matches and one ending in a draw. In AFCON encounters, Senegal now edge the rivalry, having won twice to Egypt’s one victory, alongside a draw.

 

Egypt, ranked 35th in the world, are Africa’s most decorated national team, appearing at the tournament for the 27th time and winning AFCON titles in 1957, 1959, 1986, 1998, 2006, 2008 and 2010. Senegal, ranked 19th, are making their 18th appearance and lifted their maiden title in Cameroon in 2021, having previously finished fourth in 1965 and 2006.

 

The second semi-final between Morocco and Nigeria kicks off at 9pm in Rabat. The third-place match will be played on Saturday, 17 January, at 5pm in Casablanca, while the grand finale between Senegal and the winner of the Morocco–Nigeria duel is set for Sunday, 18 January, at 8pm in Rabat.