AFCON 2025: Senegal, Mali renew West African rivalry in Tangier

The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) enters the quarter-final stage on Friday as the tournament continues to gather momentum.

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Mali will battle Senegal at the Stade Ibn Batouta in Tangier from 7.00 pm local time, before Egypt faces the Ivory Coast three hours later.

Mali booked their place in the last eight after edging Tunisia 2-1 in the round of 16, while Senegal came from behind to register a 3-1 victory over Sudan.

Senegal will enjoy familiar surroundings, having played all four of their matches in Tangier, while Mali has featured three times in Casablanca and once in Rabat.

Friday’s encounter will mark only the second meeting between the two sides at the AFCON finals, following their lone previous clash in the 2004 group stage, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

Overall, the West African rivals have met 40 times, with Senegal claiming 19 wins. Mali has recorded eight victories, while 13 matches ended in draws.

Senegal will also draw confidence from their recent dominance in the fixture, remaining unbeaten in their last 13 meetings with Mali, winning six and drawing seven.

Mali’s last victory over Senegal dates back nearly three decades, a 2-1 friendly win played on November 26, 1997, in Dakar.

However, Mali may not necessarily need to win in regulation time to progress.

They are yet to register a win inside 90 minutes at this tournament, drawing all three group matches before holding Tunisia to another draw and advancing on post-match penalties in the round of 16.

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Mali head coach Tom Saintfiet acknowledged Senegal’s quality but insisted his side will approach the contest with courage.

“Senegal is one of the biggest teams on the continent. They have been at the highest level for years and are very stable, with great individual quality and strong team cohesion,” said Saintfiet.

“They are the favorites, and we are the outsiders, and we accept that. But we have already shown against Morocco and Tunisia that we are not afraid. I think it is going to be like a war tomorrow. We are not afraid of Senegal. We also have good players.”

The Belgian tactician also pointed out Mali’s main challenge at the tournament as they chase a place in the semi-finals.

“Our only undoing is not scoring as many goals as we would like, but we are very disciplined when we don’t have the ball. Our plan is ready for Senegal. We have a lot of respect for them and we will do everything possible to stay in this competition until the end,” he added.

Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw played down the ‘war’ narrative, opting to highlight the close ties between the two nations.

“For me, this is a football match, not a war. My mother is from Mali, and my father is Senegalese. Mali and Senegal can never have a war between them,” said Thiaw.

Thiaw has rotated his squad throughout the tournament, a decision he defended during his pre-match press conference.

“Some people get annoyed when I say I brought 28 starting players, but I have proven that on the field. There are no substitutes in our team. Football dictates that we start with only 11 players, but fair competition is what makes us strong,” he said.

The 44-year-old also praised the support his team has received from the Tangier crowd.

“Continuing to play in Tangier is a reward for us after finishing first in a tough group. We hope to continue playing here because the public’s support motivates us greatly.”