AFCON 2025: Mané’s decisive strike sends Senegal past Egypt into final
Senegal secured a place in the final of the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 after a hard-fought 1–0 victory over record champions Egypt in Wednesday’s semi-final clash in Tangier.
In a tense encounter between two continental heavyweights, Senegal showed composure and tactical discipline to overcome an Egyptian side driven by the quest for an elusive eighth AFCON title.
The decisive moment arrived in the 77th minute, when Sadio Mané put the Teranga Lions ahead in Tangier. The Senegal captain struck a right-footed shot from outside the box, sending the ball into the bottom left corner.
A swift attacking move that caught Egypt’s defence momentarily off balance, allowing Senegal to find the breakthrough that ultimately separated the sides.
Egypt responded with urgency, pushing numbers forward in search of an equaliser. Mohamed Salah led the charge, testing Senegal’s back line with his movement and creativity, but the Pharaohs were repeatedly frustrated by a well-organised Senegalese defence and assured goalkeeping.
Despite Egypt’s late pressure, Senegal remained compact and disciplined, managing the closing stages with maturity to see out the narrow victory.
The result reignites memories of the two sides’ most recent AFCON meeting in the 2021 final, when Senegal also prevailed on penalties to claim their maiden continental crown.
This time, the Lions of Teranga needed no shoot-out, delivering a decisive blow within regulation time to advance.
Senegal will now turn their attention to Sunday’s final, where they will face the winner of the semi-final between Morocco and Nigeria, which is currently underway.
