Senegal midfielder Idrissa Gana Gueye insists his outfit achieved a well-deserved victory against Egypt in the semifinal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Taranga Lions narrowly defeated the Pharaohs in a high-stake semi-final on Wednesday, setting up a fierce final clash against Morocco, who also triumphed over Nigeria on penalties.
It was Sadio Mane who emerged as the hero for Senegal after scoring the only goal of the match in the 78th-minute to propel his outfit to the final of the tournament. Senegal has now set up a fierce encounter against hosts, Morocco, scheduled for Sunday, January 18, 2026 at the Prince Moulay Abdallah Stadium.
“We were aware of the importance of reaching the final, so we did our best and achieved a well-deserved victory.”
Meanwhile, Gueye has eulogized Mane, who shone for the team in the crucial moment at the tournament.
“Sadio Mane shone as usual in a very tense match, but we kept our composure and defended well.”
Senegal’s dominance over Egypt continued in recent years, having previously defeated Egypt to annex the title in 2021 in Cameroon.
The Taranga Lions has now qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations final for the fourth time in its history, after qualifying for the 2002 final before losing to Cameroon on penalties, and the 2019 final before losing to Algeria 1-0, while the only title came in 2021 with a victory over Egypt on penalties.
Morocco and Senegal have won the continental showpiece just once in their football history and will be seeking for their second triumph in the high-stake final.
