Senegal secured a narrow 1–0 victory over Mali in the quarter-finals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Tangier on Sunday, booking their place in the semi-finals.
Everton forward Iliman Ndiaye scored the decisive goal in the 27th minute, finishing calmly to separate the two West African rivals in a tightly contested encounter.
Mali’s hopes suffered a major setback shortly before halftime when Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Yves Bissouma was shown a second yellow card in stoppage time, reducing the Eagles to 10 men for the remainder of the match.
Senegal expertly managed the advantage in the second half, maintaining defensive discipline and limiting Mali to few clear-cut chances. The result extended Senegal’s dominance over their neighbours, with the Lions of Teranga remaining unbeaten against Mali in Africa Cup of Nations history.
The victory also marked Senegal’s fifth semi-final appearance at AFCON and extended their impressive unbeaten run in the competition to 15 matches — one of the longest streaks in tournament history.
Mali, who advanced to the quarter-finals after a penalty shootout win over Tunisia in the round of 16, exit the tournament without winning a match in regulation time. It is their earliest exit at this stage since 2013.
Senegal now turn their attention to a high-stakes semi-final as they continue their pursuit of continental glory at AFCON 2025.
