Senegal booked their place in the Africa Cup of Nations final after Sadio Mané scored a late winner to defeat Egypt 1-0 in a tense semi-final in Tangier. The goal, coming with 12 minutes remaining, was a ferocious strike from just outside the box after Lamine Camara's shot was deflected into his path. Egypt's appeals for handball and offside were dismissed, with the ball striking Mané's chest and the defence having been so deep that no offside was possible.
The match was a poor spectacle, marked by fouls, time-wasting and frequent attempts to influence the referee, with little attacking quality on show. Senegal enjoyed almost two-thirds of possession but struggled to create clear chances against an Egypt side that sat deep with three central defenders and two shielding midfielders. Despite fielding Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush up front, Egypt showed almost no attacking ambition.
Senegal will face tournament hosts Morocco in Sunday's final. The victory came at a cost, however, as Kalidou Koulibaly and Habib Diarra both collected yellow cards and will be suspended for the final. Koulibaly was also forced off injured in the first half, while Diarra was withdrawn at the interval.
Egypt coach Hossam Hassan complained after the match that it was unfair Senegal had an extra day to recover and had been able to stay in Tangier throughout, unlike Egypt who travelled from Agadir. Mané, meanwhile, said Senegal had been patient and knew any mistake would be punished, adding that Egypt's style was difficult for opponents.
Egypt have reached two finals since returning to the Cup of Nations in 2017 despite rarely winning knockout games in regulation time, but this performance may prove costly for Hassan, who has faced criticism from former players including Essam El Hadary. A 3-2 quarter-final victory over Côte d'Ivoire had hinted at a more attacking approach, but this display reverted to a more cautious template.
