Sadio Mané once again underlined his big-match pedigree after firing Senegal into the final of the 2026 Africa Cup of Nations with a hard-fought 1–0 victory over seven-time champions Egypt on Wednesday night.
In a tense semi-final played at the Grand Stade de Tanger, the two-time African Footballer of the Year finally broke Egyptian resistance in the 78th minute. Mané struck a low effort into the bottom left corner from just outside the penalty area after Lamine Camara’s initial shot was blocked, sparking wild celebrations among Senegal supporters and separating two sides locked in a tactical battle.
Senegal, champions in 2021 after beating the same opponents in the final, dominated possession and dictated the tempo but struggled to find a way past Egypt’s disciplined defence. Before Mané’s decisive strike, Nicolas Jackson blazed over from a promising position, while Habib Diarra and Pape Gueye both forced saves as pressure steadily mounted.
The Teranga Lions, however, were dealt a major blow during the match. Captain Kalidou Koulibaly saw his tournament end in disappointment after picking up an early booking for a tactical foul on Omar Marmoush, which ruled him out of the final, before limping off injured in the 23rd minute. He was replaced by Mamadou Sarr. Midfielder Habib Diarra was also cautioned for dissent and will miss the title decider.
Egypt, largely subdued for much of the contest, offered little in attack. Mohamed Salah’s dangerous free kick before half-time was the Pharaohs’ best opportunity, while Marmoush’s stoppage-time effort was comfortably saved as Senegal closed out the match. The statistics reflected Senegal’s dominance: they finished with 11 shots, four on target, while Egypt failed to register a single effort on goal.
Tempers briefly flared when Salah fouled his former Liverpool teammate Mané, but order was quickly restored by coaches Pape Thiaw and Hossam Hassan.
Earlier, Morocco had booked their place in the final after a dramatic 4–2 penalty shoot-out victory over Nigeria in Rabat. The hosts and the Super Eagles played out a goalless draw after extra time in front of more than 65,000 fans at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, before goalkeeper Yassine “Bono” Bounou emerged as the hero, saving two penalties. Youssef El-Nesyri converted the decisive spot kick to send the home crowd into raptures.
From Rabat to Casablanca, fan zones filled early and celebrations spilled late into the night as the Atlas Lions edged past Nigeria in one of the tournament’s most eagerly anticipated clashes.
“I don’t care how we win,” said one jubilant Moroccan supporter. “We just want to lift the trophy.”
Summary
- In a tense semi-final played at the Grand Stade de Tanger, the two-time African Footballer of the Year finally broke Egyptian resistance in the 78th minute.
- Captain Kalidou Koulibaly saw his tournament end in disappointment after picking up an early booking for a tactical foul on Omar Marmoush, which ruled him out of the final, before limping off injured in the 23rd minute.
- The hosts and the Super Eagles played out a goalless draw after extra time in front of more than 65,000 fans at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, before goalkeeper Yassine “Bono” Bounou emerged as the hero, saving two penalties.
Seabata Mahao is a general news reporter with special focus on Business and Sports. Started working at Newsday in 2021. Working in a team with a shared goal is what I enjoy most and that gives me the motivation to work under any environment leading to growth.
