Senegal booked their place in the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 semifinals with a narrow 1–0 victory over Mali in their quarter‑final clash at the Grande Stade de Tanger on Friday, January 9, 2026. Iliman Ndiaye’s first‑half goal proved decisive as the Lions of Teranga edged past a resilient but undermanned Malian side.
The only goal came in the 27th minute, when Senegal capitalised on a costly error by Mali goalkeeper Djigui Diarra. A cross from the right flank was spilled under pressure, and Ndiaye was quickest to react, tapping in from close range to give the West African champions the lead.
Mali endured a major setback just before half‑time when captain Yves Bissouma was shown a second yellow card, reducing his side to 10 men and making Senegal’s task more manageable in the second half.
Despite the numerical disadvantage, Mali remained spirited after the break and created a handful of opportunities, but Senegal’s defence stood firm. Goalkeeper Mali Diarra redeemed himself somewhat with a series of second‑half saves to deny further Senegalese chances, though his earlier error proved costly.
The win keeps Senegal’s remarkable unbeaten run alive, extending their streak in AFCON matches and making them the first team to secure a spot in the semifinals of this edition of the tournament. They now await the winner of the Egypt vs Côte d’Ivoire quarterfinal to determine their next opponent.
For Mali, the defeat ends their AFCON 2025 campaign without a victory in regulation time, but their journey to the quarter‑finals, including a dramatic penalty shootout win over Tunisia in the round of 16, demonstrated resilience despite the numerical and tactical challenges they faced.