Senegal defeated Egypt 1-0 in Tangier, Morocco, securing a spot in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final.
This result knocked Egypt out of the competition, ending their strong history in AFCON.
Sadio Mane, the Al-Nassr striker, scored the only goal of the match in the 78th minute, taking advantage of a defensive error by Egypt to send a long-range shot past goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy.
History Shapes Strategy
Senegal and Egypt have a competitive history. They last met in the AFCON final in 2022 and earlier in the World Cup qualifiers, with Senegal winning both times.
From the start, it was clear Egypt was cautious, with coach Hossam Hassan opting for a defensive strategy focused on midfield control. This tactic is common for underdog teams, but it was unexpected from Egypt, a team with substantial resources and a successful past. It was surprising to see such a historically strong team appear so intimidated.
This is the reality of international soccer. Egypt has the talent to compete with Senegal but was hindered by its past experiences against them.
The loss didn’t occur on the field but in their mindset.
Potential End for Mohamed Salah?
Egypt is one of Africa’s leading teams, and Mohamed Salah is one of its top players; however, they haven’t found success together. They have yet to win AFCON, and with this recent outcome, that possibility seems even more distant.
Salah, now 33, is approaching the twilight of his career. Despite his struggles in the current Premier League season, this AFCON campaign was meant to showcase his abilities once more. Unfortunately, it didn’t go as planned.
Salah displayed moments of brilliance earlier in the tournament but was largely absent against Senegal, failing to make any impact in terms of goals or shots during the semifinal.
Though he is experienced, he is not necessarily at the end of his career. Many older players have thrived for their national teams; for example, Lionel Messi was 35 when he led Argentina to World Cup victory in 2022. Salah will be the same age when Egypt competes again in AFCON in 2027.
While we may see Salah in future tournaments, this semifinal performance raises questions about his future contributions.
Senegal will play either Morocco or Nigeria in the AFCON final on Sunday, January 18. This will be Senegal’s fourth appearance in the AFCON final. If they win, it will be only their second AFCON title.
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