Egypt’s hopes of lifting the Africa Cup of Nations trophy came to a disappointing end on Wednesday night after a 1-0 semi-final defeat to Senegal, as the defending champions delivered a dominant performance to book their place in the AFCON 2025 final.
Played in Tangier, the contest was largely one-sided, with Senegal controlling possession, territory, and tempo from start to finish. Egypt, by contrast, struggled to impose themselves and failed to register a single shot on target until deep into stoppage time, a statistic that underlined the difficulty of the task they faced.
The decisive moment arrived in the 78th minute when Sadio Mane struck the winning goal. A blocked effort fell kindly to the Al-Nassr forward at the edge of the box, where he controlled the ball before firing a powerful low shot past Mohamed El-Shenawy. Despite brief appeals for handball, a VAR review confirmed the goal, handing Senegal a deserved lead.
Until that point, Egypt had offered little attacking threat, not making a single shot all game. Coach Hossam Hassan’s side relied heavily on long balls toward Omar Marmoush and Mohamed Salah, but the tactic was consistently neutralised by Senegal’s organised and physical defence. Salah, in particular, was kept quiet throughout the match, tightly marked and rarely afforded space to influence play.
Egypt’s lack of urgency before conceding raised questions about the tactical approach. The Pharaohs did not earn their first corner kick until after the 80th minute and failed to attempt a single shot—on or off target—during the opening 78 minutes. Only after falling behind did Egypt begin to show greater attacking intent, but it was too little too late.
In response to the goal, Hassan introduced Ahmed Sayed Zizo and Mostafa Mohamed, replacing Rami Rabia and Emam Ashour in an effort to inject fresh energy into the attack. While Egypt briefly pushed forward, clear chances remained scarce. The first shot on target finally arrived in the 94th minute when Marmoush tested the Senegal goalkeeper, but the effort was comfortably dealt with and came far too late to alter the outcome.
Senegal, meanwhile, managed the closing stages with composure, limiting Egypt to half-chances and ensuring they did not concede a meaningful opportunity until the final moments. The result capped a performance in which Senegal’s dominance was reflected not only in possession statistics (70-30) but also in their defensive solidity.
The defeat brings Egypt’s bid for an eighth continental title to an end at the semi-final stage of the Africa Cup of Nations.
Having shown resilience and depth in earlier rounds, the Pharaohs ultimately fell short against a Senegal side that executed their game plan with precision and confidence.
Egypt will now turn their attention to the third-place playoff, where they are set to face the loser of the other semi-final between Morocco and Nigeria.
Senegal, meanwhile, advance to Sunday’s final, where they will look to defend their crown and reaffirm their status as the continent’s dominant force.
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