Senegal coach Pape Thiaw praised his players’ character after the Teranga Lions edged Mali 1–0 to reach the AFCON 2025 semi-finals in Morocco.
In a tight West African derby in Tangier, his side showed patience and control to make their numerical advantage count after Mali captain Yves Bissouma was sent off just before half-time.
Thiaw admitted the contest was anything but straightforward. “It was not an easy match because we played against a very talented Mali team but we achieved our objective,” he said, underlining how Mali’s quality and organisation posed constant problems for Senegal. He also rued his team’s missed chances, noting that with more composure they could have added to Iliman Ndiaye’s first-half strike.
Despite those frustrations, Thiaw stressed that the priority was simply to advance. “If we had been more clinical in front of goal we could have scored more goals but what is more important today is for us to have qualified for the semi-final,” he explained.
Looking ahead, he promised to address errors and called for greater efficiency in front of goal as Senegal prepare to face Egypt or Cote d’Ivoire in the last four.
