Everton playmaker Iliman Ndiaye hit the winner and Tottenham’s Yves Bissouma was despatched off as Senegal beat 10-player Mali to ebook a 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) semi-final date with Egypt or Ivory Coast.
Ndiaye pounced for the Twenty seventh-minute winner in Tangier after goalkeeper Djigui Diarra spilled Krepin Diatta’s low cross from contained in the field on the suitable, slotting in after teammate Habib Diallo had hurdled Diarra and the ball.
Midfielder Bissouma was despatched off throughout first-half added time, though Mali – enjoying their second successive match with a participant dismissed earlier than the break – held on admirably, with Diarra tipping Lamine Camara’s late volley towards a publish to disclaim Senegal a second.
The Lions of Teranga might be in Tangier once more on Wednesday (17:00 GMT) to face the seven-time winners or the holders, who meet of their quarter-final in Agadir on Saturday (19:00).
Mali vs Senegal: Bissouma purple card
Having did not function for Spurs this season and suffered disciplinary motion at his membership, Bissouma’s marketing campaign to neglect continued with a justified dismissal for 2 clumsy challenges.
Mali’s third purple card of the match impressed one other spirited response from Tom Saintfiet’s gamers, who beat Tunisia on penalties within the final 16 regardless of having Woyo Coulibaly despatched off within the twenty sixth minute and falling behind two minutes from the top of normal time.
The Eagles are more likely to really feel aggrieved at not incomes an early penalty when Kalidou Koulibaly appeared to carry down Lassine Sinayoko, and they’ll rue a scarcity of ruthlessness from the occasional probability they created and an error for the aim by Diarra, who went on to make quite a few very important saves.
Diarra was below strain when Diatta’s supply went in and and had gone down and obtained therapy earlier, however the hero of that shootout win on Saturday supply ought to have held the ball within the second that price his workforce their place on the finals, exiting and not using a win in open play.
Pape Thiaw’s Senegal deservedly went by way of and at the moment are two wins away from including to their solitary AFCON title, with their fast path probably blocked by Mohamed Salah’s Egypt, who they beat on penalties within the 2021 remaining.
Mali vs Senegal: AFCON 2025 quarterfinal stats
- Senegal now have 20 wins to Mali’s eight within the 42 conferences between the groups, outscoring them 62-38
- They’re unbeaten of their final 14 matches towards Mali, recording seven wins and 7 attracts
- A run of 16 AFCON matches unbeaten (W11 D5) is their longest such run within the competitors
- That is the primary time Senegal have gained 4 matches in open play on the identical AFCON since 2019
- Their final AFCON defeat got here within the 2019 remaining towards Algeria they usually have scored of their final 9 AFCON matches
- They’re unbeaten in open play of their final seven knockout matches throughout all levels
- Mali haven’t overwhelmed Senegal since a 2-1 win in a pleasant in November 1997
- Their earlier two knockout matches had gone to further time: the 2023 quarter-final loss to Ivory Coast and their win over Tunisia within the final 16 in Morocco
- The defeat means they haven’t reached the semi-finals since 2013
AFCON 2025: Mali workforce vs Senegal
Full-back Coulibaly was suspended for Mali. Midfielder Coulibaly recovered from a knock that had been anticipated to maintain him out.
Mali beginning XI: Djigui Diarra, Hamari Traore, Abdoulaye Diaby, Ousmane Camara, Nathan Gassama, Lassana Coulibaly, Aliou Dieng, Yves Bissouma, Amadou Haidara, Lassine Sinayoko, Mamadou Sangare
Mali substitutes: Ismael Diawara, Amadou Dante, Sikou Niakate, Dorgeles Nene, Mahamadou Doumbia, El Bilal Toure, Mohamed Camara, Fode Doucoure, Mamadou Camara, Mamadou Fofana, Mamadou Doumbia, Kamory Doumbia, Mamadou Samassa, Ibrahima Sissoko, Gaoussou Diakite
Senegal workforce vs Mali: AFCON 2025 quarterfinal
Nicolas Jackson was surprisingly dropped to the bench for Senegal, with Diallo beginning in assault. Ismaila Sarr was additionally not noted, with Ndiaye coming in.
Captain Koulibaly returned following a ban.
Senegal beginning XI: Edouard Mendy, Krepin Diatta, Kalidou Koulibaly, Moussa Niakhate, El Hadji Malick Diouf, Habib Diarra, Idrissa Gueye, Pape Gueye, Iliman Ndiaye, Habib Diallo, Sadio Mane
Senegal substitutes: Yehvann Diouf, Mamadou Sarr, Abdoulaye Seck, Pathe Ciss, Lamine Camara, Boulaye Dia, Nicolas Jackson, Cherif Ndiaye, Ismail Jakobs, Pape Matar Sarr, Ismaila Sarr, Cheikh Sabaly, Mory Diaw, Antoine Mendy, Ibrahim Mbaye
AFCON 2025: Senegal squad
Goalkeepers: Mory Diaw (Le Havre), Yehvann Diouf (Good), Edouard Mendy (Al-Ahli)
Defenders: Ilay Camara (Anderlecht), Krepin Diatta (Monaco), El Hadji Malik Diouf (West Ham United), Ismail Jakobs (Galatasaray), Kalidou Koulibaly (Al Hilal), Antoine Mendy (Good), Moussa Niakhate (Lyons), Mamadou Sarr (Strasbourg), Abdoulaye Seck (Maccabi Haifa)
Midfielders: Lamine Camara (Monaco), Pathe Ciss (Rayo Vallecano), Habib Diarra (Sunderland), Idrissa Gana Gueye (Everton), Pape Gueye (Villarreal), Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham Hotspur), Ousseynou Niang (Union Saint-Gilloise)
Forwards: Boulaye Dia (Lazio), Habib Diallo (Metz), Nicolas Jackson (Bayern Munich), Sadio Mane (Al Nassr), Ibrahim Mbaye (Paris St-Germain), Cherif Ndiaye (Samsunspor), Iliman Ndiaye (Everton), Cheikh Sabaly (Metz), Ismaila Sarr (Crystal Palace)
AFCON 2025: Mali squad
Goalkeepers: Djigui Diarra (Younger Africans), Ismael Diawara (Sirius), Mamadou Samassa (Laval)
Defenders: Sikou Niakate (Braga), Abdoulaye Diaby (Grasshoppers), Woyo Coulibaly (Sassuolo), Fode Doucoure (Le Havre), Hamari Traore (Paris FC), Nathan Gassama (Baltika Kalinigrad), Mamadou Fofana (New England Revolution), Ousmane Camara (Angers), Amadou Dante (Arouca)
Midfielders: Amadou Haidara (RB Leipzig), Lassana Coulibaly (Lecce), Mohamed Camara (Al Sadd), Mamadou Sangare (Lens), Aliou Dieng (Al Ahly), Yves Bissouma (Tottenham), Mahamadou Doumbia (Al-Ittihad), Ibrahima Sissoko (Bochum)
Forwards: Nene Dorgeles (Fenerbahce), Gaoussou Diarra (Feyenoord), Mamadou Camara (Laval), Kamory Doumbia (Brest), El Bilal Toure (Besiktas), Mamadou Doumbia (Watford), Lassine Sinayoko (Auxerre), Gaoussou Diakite (Lausanne)
AFCON 2025 fixtures, outcomes, full Africa Cup of Nations schedule
All instances are GMT.
Sunday, December 21 2025
- Group A: Morocco 2-0 Comoros (Rabat)
Monday, December 22 2025
- Group A: Mali 1-1 Zambia (Casablanca)
- Group B: South Africa 2-1 Angola (Marrakech)
- Group B: Egypt 2-1 Zimbabwe (Agadir)
Tuesday, December 23 2025
- Group D: Senegal 3-0 Botswana (Tangie)
- Group D: DR Congo 1-0 Benin (Rabat)
- Group C: Nigeria 2-1 Tanzania (Fes)
- Group C: Tunisia 3-1 Uganda (Rabat)
Wednesday, December 24 2025
- Group E: Burkina Faso 2-1 Equatorial Guinea (Casablanca)
- Group E: Algeria 3-0 Sudan (Rabat)
- Group F: Ivory Coast 1-0 Mozambique (Marrakech)
- Group F: Cameroon 1-0 Gabon (Agadir)
Friday, December 26 2025
- Group B: Angola 1-1 Zimbabwe (Marrakech)
- Group B: Egypt 1-0 South Africa (Agadir)
- Group A: Zambia 0-0 Comoros (Casablanca)
- Group A: Morocco 1-1 Mali (Rabat)
Saturday, December 27 2025
- Group D: Benin 1-0 Botswana (Rabat)
- Group D: Senegal 1-1 DR Congo (Tangier)
- Group C: Uganda 1-1 Tanzania (Rabat)
- Group C: Nigeria 3-2 Tunisia (Fes)
Sunday, December 28 2025
- Group F: Gabon 2-3 Mozambique (Agadir)
- Group E: Equatorial Guinea 0-1 Sudan (Casablanca)
- Group E: Algeria 1-0 Burkina Faso (Rabat)
- Group F: Ivory Coast 1-1 Cameroon, (Marrakech)
Monday, December 29 2025
- Group B: Angola 0-0 Egypt (Agadir)
- Group B: Zimbabwe 2-3 South Africa (Marrakech)
- Group A: Comoros 0-0 Mali (Casablanca)
- Group A: Zambia 0-3 Morocco (Rabat)
Tuesday, December 30 2025
- Group C: Tanzania 1-1 Tunisia (Rabat)
- Group C: Uganda 1-3 Nigeria (Fes)
- Group D: Benin 0-3 Senegal (Tangier)
- Group D: Botswana 0-3 DR Congo (Rabat)
Wednesday, December 31 2025
- Group E: Equatorial Guinea 1-3 Algeria (Rabat)
- Group E: Sudan 0-2 Burkina Faso (Casablanca)
- Group F: Gabon 2-3 Ivory Coast (Marrakech)
- Group F: Mozambique 1-2 Cameroon (Agadir)
Africa Cup of Nations 2025 spherical of 16
Saturday, January 3 2026
- SR1: Senegal 3-1 Sudan (Tangier)
- SR2: Mali 1-1 Tunisia (3-2 on penalties) (Casablanca)
Sunday, January 4
- SR3: Morocco 1-0 Tanzania (Rabat)
- SR4: South Africa 1-2 Cameroon (Rabat)
Monday, January 5
- SR5: Egypt 3-1 Benin (after further time) (Agadir)
- SR6: Nigeria 4-0 Mozambique (Fes)
Tuesday, January 6
- SR7: Algeria 1-0 DR Congo (after further time) (Rabat)
- SR8: Ivory Coast 3-0 Burkina Faso (Marrakech)
Africa Cup of Nations 2025 quarter-finals
Friday, January 9
- QF1: Mali 0-1 Senegal (Tangier)
- QF2: Cameroon vs Morocco (Rabat, 19:00)
Saturday, January 10
- QF3: Algeria vs Nigeria (Marrakech, 16:00)
- QF4: Egypt vs Ivory Coast (Agadir, 19:00)
Africa Cup of Nations 2025 semi-finals
Wednesday, January 14
- SF1: Winner QF1 vs Winner QF4 (Tangier, 17:00)
- SF2: Winner QF3 vs Winner QF2 (Rabat, 20:00)
Africa Cup of Nations 2025 third-place match
Saturday, January 17
- SF1 vs SF2 losers (Casablanca, 16:00)
Africa Cup of Nations 2025 remaining
Sunday, January 18
- SF1 vs SF2 winners (Rabat, 19:00)
