Senegal AFCON: Thiaw Urges Clinical Edge To Win Title

Senegal advanced to the Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals with a 1-0 victory over Mali, yet head coach Pape Thiaw stressed that sharper finishing will be vital if the team wants to claim the AFCON title

later in the tournament.

The decisive moment arrived on 27 minutes at Grand Stade de Tanger, when Iliman Ndiaye scored from close range after Djigui Diarra failed to hold Moussa Niakhate’s cross, and Mali’s challenge then became harder when captain Yves Bissouma received a red card in first-half stoppage time.

Although Senegal played against ten players for more than half the match, Thiaw highlighted wasteful attacking play in the final third, as Senegal produced 19 shots but generated an expected goals figure of only 1.55, which was only slightly higher than Mali’s 1.13 from eight attempts.

Thiaw reflected on the test posed by Mali and underlined how performance will need to rise in the coming games, saying: "It was not an easy match because we played against a very talented Mali team, but we achieved our objective. The Mali team has good qualities, and they created many challenges for us. If we had been more clinical in front of goal, we could have scored more goals, but what is more important today is for us to have qualified for the semi-final. We will look into our errors and look to correct them for our future matches. We hope that we will be more efficient in front of goal and have more luck in the future. "

Senegal’s victory continues an impressive recent record at the Africa Cup of Nations, with the team now reaching the last four in three of the past four editions, after previously missing the semi-finals in four straight tournament appearances before that improved period.

This campaign has also produced four wins and one draw for Senegal from five AFCON matches, matching their previous strong runs, with Opta noting that Senegal have now recorded four or more wins at a single AFCON edition four times, including 2002, 2019 and 2021.

The statistical comparison from this quarter-final underlined how Mali remained competitive despite the dismissal, as shown below.

4 - Senegal have won four games in a same CAF Africa Cup of Nations edition for the fourth time ever, after 2002 (4 - runner-up), 2019 (5 - runner-up) and 2021 (4 - winner). Belief. #MLISEN #AFCON2025 pic.twitter.com/k1rtcZZNrvOptaJean (@OptaJean) January 9, 2026

Senegal AFCON Africa Cup of Nations hero Ndiaye and Everton link

Ndiaye’s composed finish not only settled the tie but also carried personal importance, as the Everton forward now has two AFCON goals for Senegal, adding to the strike against Guinea during the group stage earlier in the tournament.

The forward also achieved a club milestone, becoming the first Everton player to score at the Africa Cup of Nations since Idrissa Gueye found the net against Benin in July 2019, highlighting Everton’s continuing presence at major international events.

Reflecting on both the individual award and the team’s progress, Ndiaye said: "I am happy to have won this award, but the most important thing is that we have progressed to the semi-finals of the competition. We played very well, and it shows that we are improving match after match. I am confident that my colleagues and I will focus on the next match to play at our best level and deliver for our fans. "

Senegal AFCON Africa Cup of Nations route and upcoming opponents

Senegal now wait to discover the semi-final opponent, with the last-four tie set to come against either defending champions Ivory Coast or Mohamed Salah’s Egypt, who meet in the remaining quarter-final scheduled for Saturday.

That match-up will determine whether Senegal confront the holders or one of Africa’s most decorated national teams, adding further interest for regional football followers, including many in the Middle East who follow AFCON closely alongside domestic and continental club competitions.

Senegal AFCON Africa Cup of Nations context for Mali’s struggles

Mali left the tournament reflecting on a missed chance to reach the semi-finals, and this defeat extended Mali’s winless sequence at the Africa Cup of Nations to six matches, a run made up of four draws and two losses, equalling their longest stretch without a victory at this competition, which also lasted six matches between 2015 and 2017.

Discipline again hurt Mali, as Bissouma’s dismissal meant that Mali became the third side to receive three red cards in a single AFCON edition since Opta began tracking those numbers in 2010, following Algeria in 2010 and Ghana in 2012, who both also accumulated three dismissals.

Mali head coach Tom Saintfiet praised the effort from the players despite the numerical disadvantage, explaining: "It was an interesting and difficult match for us because we had to play large parts of the game with ten men. But that doesn't take away the fact that my players played gallantly and played very well. I am proud of them for the performance they put up, not just in today's match but throughout the competition. We have shown the world what we are made of. Together with my staff, we will analyse our matches and see what we can do better in future. "

As the tournament moves into the semi-final stage, Senegal carry strong form and recent AFCON pedigree but still search for greater precision in attack, while Mali exit after another difficult run in the competition, having produced committed performances yet paying heavily for repeated red cards and key moments that went against the team.