Sadio Mané scored the decisive goal as Senegal secured a 1-0 victory over Egypt to book their spot in the Africa Cup of Nations final.
In an otherwise scrappy contest in Tangier, both teams struggled to produce moments of quality, but Mané’s brilliance proved enough. With 12 minutes remaining, the Senegalese forward unleashed a powerful shot from 20 yards into the bottom corner, giving the Lions of Teranga the lead and ultimately the win.
Egypt, despite featuring the Premier League duo of Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush upfront, failed to make a significant impact. Their only shot on target came in stoppage time from Marmoush, by which point Senegal had already sealed the outcome.
Senegal will now face the winner of Sunday’s semi-final between Nigeria and Morocco in the final, while Egypt moves to the third-place play-off.
The match itself reflected cautious tactics on both sides. Senegal controlled possession but rarely created clear-cut chances, while Egypt largely defended in numbers, looking to counterattack when possible. Apart from a free-kick from Salah, the Pharaohs struggled to test the Senegalese goal.
Mané’s moment of individual brilliance proved decisive, demonstrating that sometimes a single spark is all it takes to shape a team’s journey in a major tournament.