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 taking place in Morocco. This victory marks Senegal's fourth appearance in the tournament final.

Mané's crucial goal came in the 78th minute, securing his team's place in the final, which is set to occur next Sunday at the "Moulay Abdellah" Stadium in Rabat. Senegal will face the winner of the other semifinal match between Morocco and Nigeria.

This win reinforces Mané's dominance over the Egyptian national team, having faced them six times previously, winning five matches and losing just once. His first encounters with Egypt were during the 2014 Africa Cup qualifiers, where he scored in the first leg, leading to a 2-0 victory, and his team also won the return match 1-0.

Mané's matchups against Egypt were absent from 2014 until the 2021 Africa Cup final, where Senegal triumphed in a penalty shootout. The teams met again during the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, where Senegal lost the first leg 1-0 but advanced after winning the return match on penalties.

Meanwhile, Egypt will compete against the loser of the Morocco-Nigeria match next Saturday at the "Mohamed V" Stadium in Casablanca, aiming to recover from their semifinal defeat.

This victory highlights Senegal's status as a "Achilles' heel" for Egypt in major continental tournaments, as they seek their second Africa Cup title following their win in 2021, having previously reached the finals in 2002, 2019, and 2021.