Senegal Advances to Africa Cup Final After Defeating Egypt with Mané's Goal

Senegal's star player Sadio Mané ended a 12-year wait by scoring against Egypt, leading the "Lions of Teranga" to a 1-0 victory in the semifinals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, currently being held in Morocco. This win marks Senegal's fourth appearance in the tournament's final.

Mané's crucial goal came in the 78th minute, ensuring his team's progression to the final, scheduled for next Sunday at the "Moulay Abdellah" Stadium in Rabat. Senegal will face the winner of the other semifinal match between Morocco and Nigeria.

This victory continues Mané's dominance over the Egyptian national team, having faced them six times previously, winning five and losing just once. His first encounter with Egypt occurred during the qualification for the 2014 Africa Cup, where he scored in a 2-0 win in the first leg, and his team also triumphed 1-0 in the return leg.

There were no matches between Mané and Egypt from 2014 until the final of the 2021 Africa Cup, which Senegal won in a penalty shootout. The two teams met again during the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, where Senegal lost the first leg 1-0 but advanced after winning the second leg on penalties.

Meanwhile, Egypt will compete against the loser of the Morocco-Nigeria match next Saturday at the "Mohammed V" Stadium in Casablanca to redeem themselves after the semifinal defeat.

This win reaffirms Senegal's status as a formidable opponent for Egypt in major continental tournaments, as they seek to secure their second Africa Cup title following their victory in 2021, having reached the finals in 2002, 2019, and 2021.