Senegal booked their place in the Africa Cup of Nations final on Wednesday night after edging Egypt 1–0 in a tense semi-final clash at the Grand Stade in Tangiers.
The decisive moment arrived in the 78th minute when Sadio Mané struck to reward Senegal’s sustained pressure.
The forward capitalised on a deflection from a long-range effort, firing a low shot beyond goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy to settle the contest.
Former champions Senegal dominated possession for much of the encounter against an Egypt side that adopted a cautious, defence-first approach.
Despite controlling the tempo, the Teranga Lions found clear chances hard to come by in a tightly fought first half.
Egypt captain Mohamed Salah was largely kept quiet by a disciplined Senegal defence, limiting the influence of the Liverpool star in what was his fifth Africa Cup of Nations appearance.
Egypt, who had reached the final twice with Salah in the squad, struggled to create meaningful openings.
The match was not without controversy and tension.
Senegal defender Kalidou Koulibaly was booked early for a foul on Omar Marmoush, earning his second yellow card of the tournament and ruling him out of the final.
Moments later, the experienced centre-back was forced off through injury, compounding Senegal’s concerns.
The first half ended goalless, with only sporadic attempts from Senegal failing to seriously test El Shenawy.
Tempers flared on the touchline shortly before the break, prompting intervention from match officials to calm both benches.
The pattern continued after the restart, with Senegal probing patiently and Egypt content to absorb pressure.
As the clock ticked down, Senegal’s persistence finally paid off through Mané’s well-taken goal.
The victory extends Senegal’s recent dominance over Egypt, following previous triumphs in the 2022 AFCON final and World Cup play-off, both decided on penalties.
Senegal will now face hosts Morocco in Sunday’s final, setting up a high-profile showdown between two of Africa’s strongest sides.
