January 14, (THEWILL) — Senegal defeated Egypt 1-0 in their Africa Cup of Nations semi-final in Tangier, with Sadio Mane once again proving the difference against the Pharaohs.
The forward’s 78th-minute strike sent Senegal through to Sunday’s final against either Nigeria or Morocco.
Mane had previously been decisive in penalty shoot-outs against Egypt in both the 2022 AFCON final and a World Cup qualification play-off that same year.
His latest intervention came when Lamine Camara’s deflected effort fell into his path, and the former Liverpool player sent a half-volley skipping along the ground past Mohamed El Shenawy from just outside the penalty area.
Senegal suffered a setback when captain Kalidou Koulibaly limped off injured midway through the first half after receiving a yellow card for a foul on Omar Marmoush.
The booking means he will miss the final regardless of his fitness. Pape Gueye missed a chance to double the lead soon after Mane’s goal, firing high and wide from a good position.
Egypt offered little going forward, with Mohamed Salah isolated up front throughout the match. Manager Hossam Hassan’s strategy of sitting deep and attempting to counter-attack failed to produce results.
The Pharaohs did not register a shot until Mostafa Mohamed’s wayward effort in the 84th minute.
Egypt’s sole half-chance saw Marmoush fire straight at goalkeeper Edouard Mendy from distance, but they never created any sustained pressure on the Senegal defence.
The victory continues Senegal’s recent dominance over their North African rivals in major tournament fixtures.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
