Mané Strikes Again As Senegal Beat Egypt To Reach 2026 AFCON Final

‎Senegal edged Egypt 1–0 in a tense semi-final that carried the same intensity as their clash in the 2021 AFCON final.

‎The victory sends the Lions of Teranga into the 2026 final and highlights their continued superiority over the Pharaohs.

‎They have now won 11 of their last 12 matches against African opposition (D1), reinforcing their position as one of the continent’s dominant forces.

‎A First Half of Drama

‎The highly anticipated clash kicked off with both sides showing plenty of energy but very little end product.

‎Egypt, which traditionally relies on compact defensive organization before striking in transition, failed to register a single shot in the first half.

‎Senegal, on the other hand, enjoyed more possession and looked the more threatening team, but still struggled to carve out clear scoring opportunities.

‎Habib Diarra and Pape Gueye each tested Egyptian goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy, who dealt comfortably with their efforts.

‎Nicolas Jackson, lively up front, fired over from a promising position a moment that summed up Senegal’s frustration in the opening period.

‎Despite Senegal’s dominance, the half came with a major blow: captain Kalidou Koulibaly suffered an injury and was forced off.

‎Adding salt to the wound, both he and Diarra picked up yellow cards that would rule them out of the final if Senegal progressed. It was a harsh twist for Aliou Cissé’s men, who were already wrestling with the pressure of breaking down a stubborn Egyptian defence.

‎The second half followed the same pattern, Senegal probing, pushing, and controlling the midfield, while Egypt retreated into a compact block with little ambition going forward.

‎The Pharaohs, seven-time AFCON champions, looked unusually flat unable to retain the ball, lacking creativity, and offering almost no threat on the counter.

‎Senegal continued to try their luck from a distance. Substitute Lamine Camara’s low drive forced another routine save from El Shenawy, who remained Egypt’s busiest and best player on the pitch.

‎Still, the breakthrough felt inevitable.

‎Sadio Mané Delivers Yet Again

‎After 78 minutes of persistent pressure, Senegal finally found their moment, and unsurprisingly, it came through their talisman, Sadio Mané. The ball broke kindly to him on the edge of the box, and with trademark composure, he guided a superb strike into the corner for his fifth goal contribution of the tournament.

‎Mané’s strike was his 11th career AFCON goal, bringing him level with former Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah. His moment of quality proved to be the decisive difference on a night when both teams delivered contrasting performances.

‎While Senegal pushed forward with purpose, Egypt spent much of the match simply trying to hold on.

‎Egypt Fade as Senegal Cruise to the Finish

‎Egypt, which had shown very little across the match, mustered just a single shot on target the entire game and it never troubled Édouard Mendy. Their lack of urgency in the closing stages highlighted a team out of ideas and outclassed.

‎Senegal, in contrast, managed the final minutes with experience and confidence. Their passage to the final felt assured long before the full-time whistle, and the scenes of celebration captured a team that believes this is their era.

‎A New Golden Era for Senegal

‎This victory marks Senegal’s third AFCON final appearance in their last five tournaments, further cementing their rise to the top of African football. Even with key players missing for the final, the Lions of Teranga will enter the showdown with belief, momentum, and a squad brimming with depth and talent.

‎Egypt, meanwhile, falls short of extending its historic legacy. A tenth AFCON final appearance was on the line, but their passive display ensured they never came close.