Senegal face Egypt in the first semi-final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) at Grand Stade de Tanger on Wednesday.
This is the first meeting between the two sides in the competition since the 2021 final, where the Teranga Lions emerged victorious on penalties.
Match preview
Senegal defeated Mali in the quarter-final, with Iliman Ndiaye’s 27th-minute strike giving them the victory.
Egypt survived a late scare, beating the defending champions Ivory Coast 3-2 at the Stade Adrar.
Goals from Omar Marmoush and Ramy Rabia had put the Pharaohs in control of the tie until Ahmed Fatou’s own goal offered the Elephants a lifeline.
Mohamed Salah restored Egypt’s two-goal cushion shortly after the break, but Ivory Coast pulled one back. However, the Pharaohs held on to secure the victory.
Salah’s reunion with former Liverpool teammate Sadio Mane has grabbed the headlines ahead of Wednesday’s showdown.
The pair have stood out for their respective nations, with Salah registering five goal involvements, one more than Mane. Their performances could prove decisive in this clash.
Head-to-head
The two sides have met five times at AFCON, with Egypt recording two wins and Senegal three.
Team news
Senegal head into this clash with a clean bill of health. Mohamed Hamdi is the only injury concern for Egypt, after he picked up a knee injury against Benin.
Predicted line-ups
Senegal (4-3-3): Edouard Mendy, Krepin Diatta, Kalidou Koulibaly, Moussa Niakhate, El Hadji Malick Diouf, Pape Gueye, Idrissa Gueye, Habib Diarra, Sadio Mane, Iliman Ndiaye, Nicolas Jackson.
Egypt (3-4-1-2): Mohamed El Shenawy, Rami Rabia, Yasser Ibrahim, Hossam Abdelmaguid, Mohamed Hany, Marwan Attia, Hamdy Fathy, Ahmed Abou El Fotouh, Emam Ashour, Omar Marmoush, Mohamed Salah.
Prediction
We predict a 2-1 win for Egypt.
Stats from transfermarkt.com.
