Senegal have booked their place in the semi-finals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after grinding out a narrow 1-0 victory over Mali in a tense quarter-final encounter.
The early stages of the match were fiercely contested, with Mali showing intent going forward. Nathan Gassama came close to breaking the deadlock in the 24th minute after unleashing a powerful strike from the edge of the box, but his effort struck a defender and bounced clear, much to Senegal’s relief.
Just three minutes later, Senegal capitalised on their opportunity. A loose ball inside the penalty area fell kindly to Iliman Ndiaye, who reacted quickest to fire a low finish straight down the middle of the goal, giving Senegal the lead.
Mali’s task became significantly harder just before the break when Yves Bissouma was dismissed after committing a reckless foul deep into first-half stoppage time. The midfielder was shown his second yellow card, leaving Mali to play the entire second half with ten men.
Senegal continued to press after the restart, with Idrissa Gueye testing the Mali goalkeeper shortly after half-time with a fierce strike from the edge of the box that was well saved. Pathe Ciss also went close midway through the second half, rising highest from a corner but directing a tame header that was comfortably dealt with.
Despite being a man down, Mali showed resilience, while Senegal remained cautious as the match entered its closing stages. In stoppage time, Senegal nearly doubled their advantage when Lamine Camara struck a rebound goalwards from outside the box, only for Djigui Diarra to produce a stunning save, tipping the ball onto the post and away.
The final whistle confirmed Senegal’s progression into the semi-finals, where they will now await the winner of the quarter-final clash between Egypt and Ivory Coast.
