Senegal Secures Spot in Africa Cup of Nations Semifinals with Narrow Win Over Mali
In a tightly contested match, Senegal edged past 10-man Mali 1-0 in Tangiers on Friday to secure their spot in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations semifinals. The decisive goal was scored by Iliman Ndiaye in the first half, courtesy of a mistake by Mali goalkeeper Djigui Diarra.
The victory marked Senegal's first win over Mali at the tournament, with the two teams having previously drawn in the group stage back in 2004. However, it was Mali who suffered an early setback when midfielder Yves Bissouma received his second yellow card and was subsequently sent off in added time, leaving the team to play with a man down for the remainder of the match.
Despite being reduced to 10 men, Mali displayed their characteristic spirit and determination, but Senegal's superior possession and control ultimately told. Ndiaye's goal came after a series of superb saves by Diarra, who was unable to stop the ball from slipping under his body.
The young Paris Saint-Germain forward Iliman Ndiaye played a crucial role in the match, involved in several attacking moves that ended with the winning goal. Meanwhile, Mali's captain Bissouma struggled to contain Senegal's star striker Sadio Mane.
As a result of their narrow victory, Senegal will now face defending champions Ivory Coast or record seven-time winners Egypt in the semifinals, who meet on Saturday. This sets up an intriguing matchup for the West African nation, who look to build on their recent success and make a deep run in the tournament.
In a tightly contested match, Senegal edged past 10-man Mali 1-0 in Tangiers on Friday to secure their spot in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations semifinals. The decisive goal was scored by Iliman Ndiaye in the first half, courtesy of a mistake by Mali goalkeeper Djigui Diarra.
The victory marked Senegal's first win over Mali at the tournament, with the two teams having previously drawn in the group stage back in 2004. However, it was Mali who suffered an early setback when midfielder Yves Bissouma received his second yellow card and was subsequently sent off in added time, leaving the team to play with a man down for the remainder of the match.
Despite being reduced to 10 men, Mali displayed their characteristic spirit and determination, but Senegal's superior possession and control ultimately told. Ndiaye's goal came after a series of superb saves by Diarra, who was unable to stop the ball from slipping under his body.
The young Paris Saint-Germain forward Iliman Ndiaye played a crucial role in the match, involved in several attacking moves that ended with the winning goal. Meanwhile, Mali's captain Bissouma struggled to contain Senegal's star striker Sadio Mane.
As a result of their narrow victory, Senegal will now face defending champions Ivory Coast or record seven-time winners Egypt in the semifinals, who meet on Saturday. This sets up an intriguing matchup for the West African nation, who look to build on their recent success and make a deep run in the tournament.
They totally deserved that win over Mali! Iliman Ndiaye is like a superstar on the field right now 
. And I feel bad for Mali, they were playing with 10 men and still managed to put up an incredible fight 
. Bissouma's red card was like, super harsh 
. But Senegal's squad depth is seriously impressive, especially with Sadio Mane leading the charge 
! Can't wait to see how they perform against these powerhouse teams 
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! but seriously tho, senegal's dominance was clear from the start 
and iliman ndiaye's goal was super clutch 
. sadio mane looks even more deadly on the pitch now lol. anyway, semis are gonna be lit! 
I'm so stoked for Senegal! Their win over Mali was insane, especially with Mali having 10 men on the field. It just goes to show that even when you're down, you can still fight back and give it your all. Iliman Ndiaye's goal was pure magic 
. I feel bad for them since they were down by 10 men. Their team spirit though was still super strong, you know? 
. I guess we'll just have to see how they handle that pressure. Fingers crossed for Senegal, though! 
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So Senegal finally beats Mali 1-0 after all these years! I mean it's been coming, right? They've got some talented young players like Iliman Ndiaye 
Can't wait to see how Senegal does against Egypt or Ivory Coast in the semis... it's gonna be a tough one either way! 
i mean they only had like one shot on goal but it was a beauty 
gotta give it to him, he's been on fire lately 
so now they get to play either ivory coast or egypt in the semis 
. Senegal's possession and control were too much for Mali to handle 
. And now they're one step closer to that Africa Cup of Nations title 
... but I'm loving the drama with Ivory Coast or Egypt in the semis 
!
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. If they can keep their momentum going, who knows what they could achieve? 
. Now, who can stop Senegal from making a deep run in the tournament? The world is watching! 
The whole team came together and worked tirelessly to secure that one point. And now they're set to face Egypt in the semis? That's gonna be epic! 
! Now they'll be facing off against either Ivory Coast or Egypt in the semis 
