Senegal 1–0 Egypt: Sadio Mané Sends Teranga Lions into AFCON Final

Sadio Mané stole the show as Senegal reached the AFCON final, edging past Egypt 1–0 in a tense and tightly fought semi-final, with the decisive moment arriving in the 78th minute.

Senegal broke Egypt’s hearts once again. Having beaten the Pharaohs in the AFCON 2021 final and the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, the Teranga Lions added another chapter to their dominance with a hard-fought victory in this year’s semi-final.

Pape Thiaw made just one change from the victory over Mali in the previous round, with Nicolas Jackson replacing Habibou Diallo in the starting XI.

Meanwhile, Hossam Hassan named an unchanged side following Egypt’s 3–2 victory over Ivory Coast.

Senegal were the deserved winners on the day, dominating large periods of the match as Egypt failed to register a single shot until after the 80th minute. The Teranga Lions controlled proceedings with 65% possession, dictating the tempo throughout.

The first half was a cagey affair between the two nations. Senegal probed patiently in search of an opening, but Egypt’s conservative defensive approach limited the Teranga Lions’ attacking threat.

Kalidou Koulibaly and Habib Diarra both received yellow cards in the first half, ruling them out of the AFCON final against either Morocco or Nigeria. Koulibaly was also forced off through injury and replaced by Mamadou Sarr.

A challenge from Mohamed Salah on Mané added intensity to an otherwise quiet first half, sparking a brief clash between the technical areas of both benches.

After relentless pressure from Senegal in the second half, gradually wearing down Egypt’s defence, the ball fell to Mané on the edge of the penalty area. The captain unleashed a vicious strike that Mohamed El Shenawy had no chance of saving, giving Senegal the breakthrough they had been pushing for.

Egypt attempted to respond by abandoning their defensive approach in pursuit of an equaliser. Mostafa Mohamed fired their first effort in the 84th minute, while the Pharaohs threw everything forward in a desperate attempt to salvage their AFCON dream. Their first shot on target finally arrived in stoppage time, a powerful low drive from Omar Marmoush.

Egypt could have performed better on the night. Registering just one shot on target across the entire match was far from sufficient, and their low-block defensive approach left them vulnerable against a disciplined and assertive Senegal side. For large spells, Egypt relied on long balls and failed to pose any sustained threat to the Teranga Lions’ defence.

It was heartbreak once again for Mohamed Salah, as his AFCON dream lies in tatters, while former Liverpool teammate Sadio Mané emerged as the hero. His moment of brilliance sends Senegal into their third AFCON final and further cements his status as one of Africa’s finest players.

Pape Thiaw’s men will now face either Morocco or Nigeria in the final in Rabat.