Senegal edge Egypt to sail through to AFCON final
Senegal edged Egypt 1-0 in the 2025 AFCON semifinal, thanks to a late strike from Sadio Mané that sealed their place in the final. The highly anticipated semifinal between Senegal and Egypt at the Grand Stade de Tanger brought together two African heavyweights, each led by their talismanic forwards—Sadio Mané for Senegal and Mohamed Salah for Egypt.
The clash carried echoes of their 2021 AFCON final meeting, where Senegal triumphed on penalties. This time, the stakes were just as high, with a spot in the 2025 final against either Morocco or Nigeria on the line.
Senegal settled quickly, dictating possession and pressing Egypt high up the pitch. Within the first five minutes, the Lions of Teranga were stroking the ball around confidently, forcing Egypt to retreat deep into their half. Egypt attempted to build from the back but were repeatedly dispossessed near their penalty area, showing the intensity of Senegal’s pressing game.
Despite Senegal’s dominance in possession, Egypt’s defense remained resolute.
The Pharaohs grew into the game around the 20th minute, but their attacks fizzled out before reaching Senegal’s box. Neither side managed to carve out clear chances, leaving the scoreline at 0-0 when the whistle blew.
Senegal resumed the second half with the same intensity, continuing to probe Egypt’s backline. Egypt, however, struggled to register any meaningful attacking threat—remarkably, they failed to record a single shot on target or even win a corner throughout the match. The Lions of Teranga kept pushing, but Egypt’s defensive wall held firm until the final quarter of the game.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 78th minute. A deflected ball fell kindly to Sadio Mané on the edge of the area, and the forward unleashed a thunderous strike that flew past the Egyptian goalkeeper. It was a goal worthy of deciding such a tense encounter, and it sent the Senegalese fans into raptures. For Salah and Egypt, it was heartbreak once again at the hands of Mané, who had previously beat them in the 2021 AFCON final and the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.
Senegal’s 1-0 victory secured their place in the AFCON 2025 final, where they will face hosts Morocco. The win reinforced Senegal’s reputation as one of Africa’s most consistent sides, while Egypt’s campaign ended in disappointment, with Salah still chasing his first AFCON crown. For Mané, the performance added another chapter to his legacy as one of Africa’s greatest players, once again proving decisive in a high-stakes clash.–
