Senegal v Egypt: Africa Cup of Nations 2026 semi-final

Senegal’s path to the semi-final: Pape Thiaw’s side topped their group before coming from behind in a 3-1 win against Sudan. In the quarter-finals, they were forced to dig deep against 10-man Mali but managed a 1-0 victory.

Senegal’s attacking depth is arguably the best on the continent with Iliman Ndiaye, Nicolas Jackson and Sadio Mané all having their moments of glory in Morocco.

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Mané v Salah: During their five seasons together at Liverpool, the pair formed a formidable partnership, both devastating on each side of the pitch. On the international stage, they have met five times but Salah is still waiting for meaningful victory.

In 2022, Senegal and Egypt met three times. The Afcon final in Cameroon and the two-legged World Cup qualifier tie. The Lions of Teranga beat Egypt on penalties to lift their maiden Afcon trophy. Less than two months later, they booked their spot in Qatar, also defeating Egypt on penalties.

Mané and Salah are both 33, born 66 days apart on opposite sides of the continent. Mané, the elder, is the son of an imam from Bambali, on the north bank of the Casamance. His family didn’t want him to be a footballer so he ran away from home aged 15, taking the bus to Dakar. Salah was born in Nagrig, just east of the Nile. His family were less wary of football, but having made a bus journey of three-to-four hours to training with the Cairo club Al Mokawloon and back every day, he too ended up, aged 15, leaving home to live in his country’s capital.

Their careers have run along not dissimilar lines. Both, for instance, have funded significant infrastructure projects in their home countries. But the sense at Liverpool was that their relationship was always a little spiky.

Read more from Jonathan Wilson below on the two fading giants.

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Preamble

Here we are – the 2026 Africa Cup of Nations final four. Our first semi-final: Senegal, the 2022 winners, take on the seven-time champions, Egypt.

Ranked second in Africa behind the hosts Morocco, Senegal will be hoping to reach their third Afcon final in the last four editions. Egypt are desperate for an eighth continental title, and are hoping to go one better thus year after final losses in 2017 and 2022 (the latter against Senegal).

While not a historically rich African rivalry, this fixture has seen an uptick in interest and stakes in recent years, with Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah, former club teammates at Liverpool, becoming their respective country’s leading talisman.

As always, feel free to get in touch via email if you have any thoughts, predictions, questions or musings. Kick-off is at 5pm GMT in Tangier. Team news to come shortly …

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