Senegal booked their place in the Africa Cup of Nations final after edging past Egypt 1-0 in a tense semi-final clash.
Former Liverpool forward Sadio Mané proved the difference, striking in the 78th minute to settle a tightly contested encounter between two continental heavyweights.
The Teranga Lions dominated large spells of the second half, piling sustained pressure on the Egyptian defence before Mané finally broke the deadlock, sparking jubilant celebrations among Senegalese supporters.
Seven-time champions Egypt struggled to carve out clear-cut opportunities, with Senegal’s backline remaining resolute to secure a memorable and historic victory.
CAF match statistics highlighted Senegal’s superiority, as they earned six corners to Egypt’s one, while both sides received bookings in a physical and highly competitive contest.
BBC Sport analysis noted that this result marked the third time Mané has come out on top against his former Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah in a high-stakes international fixture. The previous two victories came four years ago, when Senegal defeated Egypt on penalties in the final of the 2021 AFCON and later in the playoff for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Salah, who scored four goals during Egypt’s run to the semi-finals, was largely subdued and failed to seriously test Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy until Omar Marmoush forced a long-range save deep into stoppage time.
Pape Thiaw’s side will now face either Nigeria or Morocco in Sunday’s final (19:00 GMT). The second semi-final between the hosts and Nigeria takes place in Rabat on Wednesday (20:00 GMT).
