Senegal Advances to Africa Cup Final After Defeating Egypt 1-0

Senegal's Sadio Mane ended a 12-year wait by scoring his first goal against Egypt since 2014, leading the "Lions of Teranga" to a 1-0 victory in the semi-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations 2025, currently hosted in Morocco. This win secures Senegal's qualification for the final for the fourth time in the tournament's history.

Mane's crucial goal arrived in the 78th minute, ensuring his team's place in the final, which is set to take place next Sunday at the "Moulay Abdellah" stadium in Rabat. Senegal will face the winner of the other semi-final match between Morocco and Nigeria.

This victory continues Mane's strong performance against the Egyptian team, having faced them in six previous encounters, winning five and losing just once. His first match against Egypt occurred during the 2014 Africa Cup qualifiers, where he scored in the first leg, leading to a 2-0 victory, and his team also triumphed in the return match 1-0.

After a hiatus from matches against Egypt, Mane faced them again in the 2021 Africa Cup final, where Senegal emerged victorious in a penalty shootout. The teams met once more during the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, with Senegal losing the first leg 1-0 but qualifying in the return leg through penalties.

Meanwhile, the Egyptian team will play the losing side of the Morocco and Nigeria match next Saturday at the "Mohammed V" stadium in Casablanca, aiming to recover from their semi-final defeat.

This win reinforces Senegal's reputation as a challenging opponent for Egypt in major continental tournaments, as they seek their second Africa Cup title following their victory in 2021, having previously reached the final in 2002, 2019, and 2021.