Benin face Senegal on Tuesday evening at the Grand Stade de Tanger in the final round of Group D at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
While the Lions of Teranga are focused on consolidating their position at the top of the group in order to remain in Tangier for the knockout stages, the Panthers of Cotonou are chasing a historic breakthrough, hoping to record their first-ever victory over Senegal since 1961 and secure only their second qualification to the AFCON knockout phase.
Determined to avoid complicated permutations, Senegal are expected to approach the match aggressively, aiming for a clear victory to guarantee first place. The encounter will be officiated by Rwandan referee Samuel Uykonda, with added pressure coming from events elsewhere, as Senegal’s closest rivals, the Democratic Republic of Congo, face bottom side Botswana simultaneously in Rabat.
Both Senegal and DR Congo are level on four points heading into the final round, although Senegal hold the advantage thanks to a superior goal difference of +3 compared to DR Congo’s +1.
Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw has stressed the importance of the fixture, particularly with logistical considerations in mind as the tournament moves into the knockout phase. Speaking ahead of the match, he said, “We are ready and prepared, and if we want to stay in Tangier we must put on a good performance against the great Benin team. We are ready to play to win.”
Benin, meanwhile, arrived buoyed by their maiden AFCON finals victory, a narrow 1-0 win over Botswana in their previous outing. Despite the confidence boost, head coach Gernot Rohr struck a cautious tone when reflecting on the challenge ahead, admitting, “We have a big match ahead of us against Senegal, one of the best teams on the continent. It will be a difficult match.”
Still confident in his squad’s ability to compete, Rohr expressed belief in Benin’s qualification chances, adding, “The challenge during this match is to play a good game, and to achieve a result that qualifies us for the round of 16. Perhaps at least we have to achieve a draw with Senegal, and even with a defeat we have every chance of qualifying as the best third-placed team.”
The two sides have met once before at the Africa Cup of Nations, with Senegal edging a 1-0 victory in their 2019 quarter-final clash in Egypt, a tournament in which Benin reached the last eight without winning a match in regulation time.
History appears to favour Senegal, who have won seven of the nine meetings between the two teams, with Benin claiming one victory and one match ending in a draw. Across those encounters, the Lions of Teranga have scored 16 goals while conceding eight.
Tonight’s highly anticipated encounter will kick off at 19:00 GMT.
