Senegal Edge Mali to Book AFCON Semi-final Place

Senegal booked their place in the Africa Cup of Nations semi finals after grinding out a hard fought 1-0 victory over Mali in a tense quarter final clash at the Grand Stade de Tanger.

The decisive moment arrived in the 27th minute when Iliman Ndiaye reacted quickest inside the box, steering the ball home from close range to give the Teranga Lions an early advantage. It proved to be the only goal of a fiercely contested encounter that demanded resilience and discipline from both sides.

Mali were dealt a major blow just before half time when Yves Bissouma was shown a red card following a second yellow for a reckless challenge. Reduced to ten men, the Eagles were forced to dig deep for the remainder of the match as Senegal looked to control proceedings.

Despite the numerical disadvantage, Mali emerged strongly after the break and pushed forward with purpose. Lassana Coulibaly, Lassine Sinayoko, and Gaoussou Diakite all went close as Senegal were pinned back for long spells, relying heavily on the composure of goalkeeper Edouard Mendy to preserve their lead.

Senegal also created chances of their own, with Sadio Mane and Idrissa Gana Gueye testing Djigui Diarra, who delivered an impressive performance between the posts for Mali. The match grew increasingly physical, with yellow cards shown on both sides as tempers flared during the closing stages.

With seven minutes of added time, Mali threw bodies forward in search of an equaliser, but Senegal stood firm. Kalidou Koulibaly marshalled the defence with authority, ensuring the narrow lead remained intact until the final whistle.

The victory sends Senegal into the last four, reinforcing their status as one of the tournament favourites. For Mali, the defeat brings an end to a campaign marked by moments of promise but undone by fine margins and discipline.