Senegal reached the AFCON 2025 semi-finals after a tense 1–0 win over 10-man Mali in Tanger, with Iliman Ndiaye scoring the decisive goal
Senegal Edge Mali to Reach AFCON 2025 Semi-Finals After Tense Tanger Clash
Senegal have booked their place in the semi-finals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) following a hard-fought 1–0 victory over Mali at the Grand Stade de Tanger.
The defending champions sealed the win in the 28th minute, when Iliman Ndiaye capitalised on a costly error by Mali goalkeeper Djigui Diarra, calmly finishing to hand the Teranga Lions a crucial advantage.
Mali’s challenge suffered a major setback shortly before halftime as captain Yves Bissouma was shown a red card for a reckless challenge on Idrissa Gueye, leaving the Eagles to battle the remainder of the contest with 10 men.
Despite being a man down, Mali pushed aggressively after the restart in search of an equaliser, but Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy produced a series of key saves to preserve his side’s lead.
Senegal, meanwhile, looked dangerous on the counter-attack and had opportunities to extend their advantage, only for Diarra to partially atone for his earlier mistake with several fine stops.
The narrow victory sends Senegal into the AFCON 2025 semi-finals, where they will face the winner of the blockbuster quarter-final clash between Egypt and Ivory Coast.
The semi-final showdown is scheduled to take place in Tanger next Wednesday, as Senegal continue their quest to defend their continental crown.
