MOROCCO — Sadio Mané delivered a dramatic late goal to secure a 1-0 victory for Senegal against Egypt in the first semifinal of the Africa Cup of Nations on Wednesday, ending Mohamed Salah’s hopes of securing his first AFCON title. This semifinal match took place in Tanger.
With this win, Senegal will face Morocco in the final on Sunday, following Morocco’s victory over Nigeria in the day’s second semifinal.
This clash was a rematch of the 2021 final, which Senegal won on penalties thanks to Mane’s decisive kick. The matchup was particularly noted for bringing together two former club teammates and rivals known as two of Africa’s top attacking talents.
While Salah had scored four goals in the tournament leading up to the semifinal, it was Mane who found the net after chesting down the ball in the 78th minute and firing it low past Egypt’s hard-working goalkeeper, Mohamed El Shenawy.
This victory marks Senegal’s fourth qualification for a Nations Cup final, while Egypt will lament a cautious strategy that produced no shots on target until the final ten minutes.
The first half was particularly uneventful, characterized by two bookings that meant neither Hossam Abdelmaguid nor Kalidou Koulibaly will participate in the final if their teams advance. Abdelmaguid was booked early on for pulling back Nicolas Jackson, while Koulibaly received his second yellow card of the tournament shortly thereafter for fouling Omar Marmoush.
After suffering an injury in the 23rd minute, Koulibaly was replaced by 20-year-old Mamadou Sarr
, who came on in his stead.
SEBASTIEN BOZON / AFP via Getty Images
Senegal maintained a clearer edge during the first half as Egypt seldom ventured forward. Despite having the ball, Senegal struggled to create significant goal-scoring opportunities, with Pape Gueye testing El Shenawy in the 32nd minute after a deflected effort from Habib Diarra.
A minor scuffle between Salah and Mane just before halftime momentarily sparked the dull match into life, resulting in tensions between both teams’ technical staff and a prolonged stoppage. Additionally, Diarra received a caution that will keep him out of the final.
As the second half progressed, Senegal’s persistence increased. Substitute Lamine Camara unleashed a powerful shot from distance, forcing a save from El Shenawy. In contrast, Egypt’s attempts to play long balls to Marmoush led to unnecessary turnovers.
The decisive moment arrived 12 minutes before the final whistle when Mane capitalized on a deflected shot, bringing the ball down amidst cries of handball before drilling a low shot into the near corner of the Egyptian goal.
In the closing moments, Pape Gueye nearly secured the win with a close-range shot that went wide, while Egypt finally managed an attempt in the 84th minute when Mostafa Mohamed‘s header missed the target.
In stoppage time, Marmoush rifled a fierce shot from outside the box, but Édouard Mendy was well-positioned to thwart the late attempt.
Senegal now progresses to their third AFCON final in the last four tournaments, while Egypt faces a heartbreaking exit from the semifinals for the first time in 42 years, with Salah’s quest for a continental title coming to an end in Tanger.