Senegal booked their place in the AFCON final after a hard-fought 1–0 victory over Egypt, with captain Sadio Mané delivering the decisive moment late in the match.
The Teranga Lions dominated possession and territory from the opening exchanges, creating several clear-cut chances but were repeatedly frustrated by Egypt goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy, who produced a series of fine saves to keep his side in the contest.
Egypt, under the guidance of Hossam Hassan, struggled to gain a foothold in the game and found it difficult to create meaningful opportunities as Senegal dictated the tempo throughout the first half.
The pattern of play remained largely unchanged after the restart, with Pape Thiaw’s men continuing to apply pressure in search of a breakthrough. Their persistence finally paid off in the 78th minute when Mané struck the winning goal, a composed finish that once again highlighted his importance to the Senegalese side.
The goal also saw Mané etch his name into AFCON history, becoming the first player since 2010 to be directly involved in 20 goals at the tournament, with a remarkable tally of 11 goals and nine assists.
Egypt pushed forward in the closing stages in search of an equaliser and registered their first shot on target deep into stoppage time through Omar Marmoush, but it proved too little, too late.
Senegal will now await the winner of the other semifinal between Nigeria and hosts Morocco in the final, while Egypt turn their attention to the third-place playoff.
