AFCON 2025: Mane vs Salah as Senegal, Egypt battle for final ticket

The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is fast approaching its denouement with semi-final matches taking centre stage, as both last four matches are lined up for Wednesday, 14 January.

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Senegal will face Egypt at the Stade Ibn Batouta in Tangier from 2000 hrs in what will be a repeat of the 2021 final before paving the way for the clash between Nigeria and hosts Morocco at the Stade Prince Moulay Abdallah in Rabat from 2300 hrs.

The 2021 AFCON champions, Senegal, booked a place in the last four by securing a 1-0 victory over Mali in the quarter-final clash. Prior to that, the Lions of Teranga eliminated Sudan in the round of 16 by a 3-1 scoreline after emerging as Group D winners.

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Egypt, on the other hand, battled out to a 3-2 victory over defending champions Ivory Coast in the quarter finals, which was preceded by a 3-1 win over Benin in the round of 16. The Pharaohs had also topped Group B.

Senegal will once again enjoy 'home' advantage away from home, having played all their five previous matches in Tangier, while Egypt played their first five matches in Adagir.

The Wednesday evening encounter will be the sixth time the two sides meet at AFCON, with each team claiming two victories.

Three of their meetings occurred at the group stages in 1986, 2000 and 2002. The 2002 match is memorable as Egypt won 1-0 courtesy of a 36th-minute strike by current Egypt coach Hossam Hassan.

Wednesday's clash will be the second time the two African giants will be meeting in an AFCON semi-final, with their previous encounter dating back two decades.

In the two times both teams have met in the knockout phase, the winner has been crowned African champion, the latest being in the 2021 final, where, after a barren draw in both regular and extra time, Senegal secured the much-coveted title through post-match penalties.

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Overall, the two teams have met 15 times, with Egypt having a slight edge over Senegal, having emerged victorious seven times as compared to Senegal's five, with three of their meetings ending in a stalemate.

The last meetings between the two sides were in the 2022 FIFA World Cup play-offs, where Egypt won the first leg 1-0 in Cairo on 25 March 2022, courtesy of an own goal by Saliou Cisse in the fourth minute.

When they met in Dakar four days later, Senegal won with a similar scoreline, with the goal also scored in the fourth minute by Boulaye Dia. The Lions of Teranga booked a place in Qatar after securing a 3-1 win in the penalty shoot-out.

The attention will without a doubt fall on Sadio Mane for Senegal and Mohammed Salah for Egypt. As has been the case in about a decade, the two former Liverpool teammates will be expected by their respective sides to inspire them to victory.

The two African stars featured for the English giants between 2017 and 2022, featuring together 223 times before Mane left the club for Bayern Munich, before landing at his current club, Saudi moneybags Al Nassr.

Mane has faced Egypt five times, scored one goal and recorded three wins, coupled with a draw and a loss. Salah, on the other hand, is yet to score in the five games he has played against Senegal and has won only once, drawn once, while tasting defeat three times.

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During their time at Liverpool, both players won the African Player of the Year twice. Salah secured the accolade in 2017 and 2018 while Mane bagged it in 2019 and 2022.

Speaking ahead of the match, Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw was wary of the Egyptian threat but also expressed confidence in his side's ability to book a place in the final.

“We are preparing for this match with the utmost rigour, leaving no room for distractions that could derail our focus.

We know we are facing a very strong Egyptian side, arguably the most star-studded team in Africa, one that is tactically disciplined and mentally seasoned by years of playing at this level,” said Thiaw.

“We approach this challenge with great respect, but also with real ambition. We are determined to win and reach the final. Above all, we remain faithful to our playing philosophy because we believe it,” he added.

His Egyptian counterpart, Hossam Hassan, on the other hand, downplayed Senegal's recent good run against Egypt, noting that his side remains a threat.

“Senegal is not a bogey team for the Egyptian national team. We are seven-time African champions, and there is no such thing as a bogey team in football.

Anyone who faces the Egyptian national team plays with fear in their heart, and the provocative videos circulated about us motivate us before matches,” remarked Hassan.

Nevertheless, the 59-year-old acknowledged the quality of his opponents ahead of the anticipated high-octane clash.

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“We approach this semi-final with great respect for our opponent, but also with great preparation. We are mentally ready. We know the team we are facing, and we also know our strengths.

Each team has its own way of playing, its own strategy, and we have prepared accordingly,” he stated.