Senegal booked a place in the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 semi-finals after a narrow 1 nil win over Mali in a tense quarter-final played in Tangier on Friday night.
The Lions of Teranga, one of the tournament favourites, were made to work hard before sealing progress thanks to an early goal from Iliman Ndiaye and a late red card that left Mali with ten men before the break.
The decisive moment came in the 27th minute when Mali goalkeeper Djigui Diarra failed to deal with a low cross from Krepin Diatta, spilling the ball into the six yard area where Ndiaye reacted quickest to tap home from close range. The Everton forward, restored to the starting line up, scored his fourth international goal and repaid coach Pape Thiaw’s decision to bring him back into the side.
Mali’s task became significantly harder in first half stoppage time when captain Yves Bissouma was dismissed after picking up a second yellow card following a foul on Idrissa Gana Gueye during a Senegal attack. The Tottenham Hotspur midfielder’s exit changed the balance of the match and left Mali chasing the game with a numerical disadvantage.
Despite being a man down, Mali showed resilience in the second half and threatened on several occasions. Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy was called into action shortly after the restart, while Diarra atoned for his earlier mistake with a series of strong saves to keep the scoreline tight. Chances fell to Sadio Mane, Lamine Camara and substitute Pathe Ciss, but Senegal were unable to add to their lead.
Senegal controlled possession for long spells, especially late on, keeping Mali at arm’s length as the clock ran down. The West Africans managed the final minutes in their opponents’ half, seeing out seven minutes of stoppage time without conceding an equaliser.
The win extends Senegal’s unbeaten run at AFCON to 16 matches, made up of 11 victories and five draws, a record only bettered by Egypt’s long run between 2004 and 2017.
Mali exit the tournament after another spirited display, left to reflect on a costly goalkeeping error and a moment of ill discipline from their captain at a critical stage of the match.
Senegal will now turn their attention to Wednesday’s semi final, where they will face either Egypt or Ivory Coast as they continue their push for continental glory.
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