Sadio Mane struck late to seal Senegal’s place in the Africa Cup of Nations final, as the Teranga Lions edged Egypt 1–0 in a tense semi-final clash on Wednesday in Tangiers.
The decisive moment came in the 78th minute when Mane reacted quickest to a deflected long-range effort, drilling a low shot beyond veteran goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy to break Egyptian resistance.
Senegal dominated possession throughout the encounter, while Egypt adopted a cautious approach focused on defensive organisation.
The result extended Senegal’s recent dominance over the Pharaohs, having beaten them in the 2022 AFCON final and in the 2022 World Cup play-offs, both on penalties.
Egypt captain Mohamed Salah was effectively neutralised by the Senegal defence, denying him a chance to influence the game in what was his fifth AFCON appearance.
The closest Salah has come to lifting the trophy remains two runner-up finishes.
Senegal suffered a setback in the first half when experienced centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly was booked in the 17th minute, ruling him out of the final due to suspension.
Matters worsened for the defender six minutes later when he picked up an injury and was replaced by Mamadou Sarr.
The opening half was cagey, with Senegal probing but failing to seriously test El Shenawy. Nicolas Jackson fired over from distance, while Pape Gueye’s low angled effort was comfortably saved.
Tempers flared shortly before the break as both benches exchanged heated words, prompting head coaches Pape Thiaw and Hossam Hassan to call for calm after intervention from the referee.
Egypt’s only real moment of threat in the first half came during stoppage time from a free-kick delivered by Salah, but the ball drifted harmlessly across the goalmouth.
The pattern remained unchanged after the restart, with Egypt content to soak up pressure. By the 75th minute, they had yet to register a shot on target or win a corner.
Senegal’s persistence eventually paid off when Mane found the breakthrough, sending the Teranga Lions into the final, where they will face either hosts Morocco or Nigeria on Sunday.
