Senegal and Egypt Renew Fierce Rivalry in AFCON Semifinal Blockbuster
With the Egyptian King, Mohamed Salah chasing his first-ever AFCON trophy and Sadio Mané looking to cement his legacy as two-time winner for the Teranga Lions, the stakes in Tangier couldn’t be higher.
The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations is nearing its climax, and the first semifinal is a heavyweight rematch that feels more like a final. Senegal and Egypt, two giants who famously clashed in the 2021 final, meet again on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, at the Grand Stade de Tanger.
Head-to-Head
The rivalry between these two is one of the most balanced in African football. Historically, Egypt holds a razor-thin lead in total wins, but Senegal has dominated the high-stakes encounters in recent years: 7 wins for Egypt, 6 for Senegal and two draws.
The last time they met in an AFCON knockout was the 2021 Final, where Senegal won their first-ever title on penalties. Interestingly, every time these two meet in a knockout game, the winner of that match has gone on to win the entire tournament (Egypt in 2006, Senegal in 2021).
A word from the camps
Pape Thiaw (Senegal Coach): “Patience was the key to our qualification against Mali. Our goal remains the same: to win the title and keep making our people dream. We respect Egypt’s history, but we are here to win.”
Hossam Hassan (Egypt Coach): “We feel psychologically comfortable and ready. My players showed great resilience against Ivory Coast. We have a 16-year drought to end, and we are one step away from the final.”
Match Officials
CAF has appointed a predominantly Gabonese crew to handle this high-tension fixture:
- Referee: Pierre Ghislain Atcho (Gabon)
- Assistant Referees: Boris Marlaise Ditsoga (Gabon) & Styven Moutsassi Moyo (Congo)
- Fourth Official: Jean-Jacques Ngambo Ndala (DRC)
- VAR Lead: Peter Waweru Kamaku (Kenya)
Projected Starting XI
Senegal (4-3-3)
- GK: Édouard Mendy
- DF: Diatta, Koulibaly, Niakhaté, Diouf
- MF: Pape Gueye, Idrissa Gana Gueye, Habib Diarra
- FW: Sadio Mané, Nicolas Jackson, Iliman Ndiaye
Egypt (4-3-3)
- GK: Mohamed El Shenawy
- DF: Mohamed Hany, Rami Rabia, Yasser Ibrahim, Ahmed Fatouh
- MF: Hamdi Fathi, Marwan Attia, Emad Ashour
- FW: Mohamed Salah, Mostafa Mohamed, Omar Marmoush
The Grand Stade de Tanger (capacity 75,000) is expected to be a cauldron. Weather is predicted to be a cool 17°C, perfect for high-intensity football.
Egypt will be without left-back Mohamed Hamdy, who has been ruled out for the rest of the tournament with an ACL injury.
12 of the last 15 meetings between these sides have produced under 1.5 goals. Expect a tactical, defensive chess match where one mistake decides it all.
