Sadio Mane reached a remarkable milestone as he faced Egypt in the Africa Cup of Nations semi-final in Morocco 2025, stepping onto what the article describes as Africa’s historic throne.
By starting the match for Senegal, the former Liverpool star and current Al Nassr forward became the player with the most appearances in AFCON history, all as a starter.
Mane’s outing against the Pharaohs took his tally to 28 AFCON matches, drawing level with Ivory Coast legend Kolo Touré, who had long held the benchmark for total games played at the tournament. The achievement underlines Mané’s consistency and enduring influence for the Teranga Lions across multiple continental campaigns.
The piece also recaps the road that brought Senegal to this semi-final, noting that they topped their group in the first round before beating Sudan 3–1 in the round of 16 and edging Mali 1–0 in the quarter-finals.
Egypt’s path is highlighted too, with the Pharaohs winning their group, then overcoming Benin 3–1 in the last 16 and producing a thrilling 3–2 victory over Ivory Coast in the quarter-finals.
