Senegal secured a narrow 1–0 victory over Mali in Tangier to advance to the semi-finals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), on Saturday evening.

The decisive moment came in the 27th minute when Everton forward Iliman Ndiaye found the back of the net, scoring what proved to be the winning goal in a fiercely contested West African encounter.

Mali’s chances of mounting a comeback were dealt a major blow shortly before the break, as Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Yves Bissouma was shown a red card after picking up a second yellow card in first-half stoppage time.

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Despite Mali’s determination, Senegal maintained their composure and defensive organisation to protect their lead for the remainder of the match, extending their impressive run in the tournament being staged in Morocco.

The result continues Senegal’s recent dominance over Mali and marks the fifth time the Lions of Teranga have reached the AFCON semi-finals.

The defending champions also stretched their unbeaten streak in the competition to 15 matches, underlining their consistency at the continental level.

Mali had reached the quarter-finals after edging Tunisia on penalties in the previous round, but once again struggled to convert chances in open play. Having drawn all their earlier matches within regulation time, the Eagles’ campaign ends with disappointment, as they fail to reach the last four for the first time since 2013.

Senegal will now turn their attention to a crucial semi-final showdown as they move closer to another potential AFCON triumph.