A familiar African football classic is set to be replayed as Senegal and Egypt lock horns in the semifinals of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations, with a repeat of the 2021 final firmly on the cards.
The heavyweight last four clash will take place at the Grande Stade de Tangier on 14 January, with kick off scheduled for 18h00 local time (17h00 GMT).
A Rivalry Built on Fine Margins
This will be the sixth AFCON meeting between the two continental giants, and remarkably, the rivalry remains perfectly balanced. From their previous five AFCON encounters, both teams have recorded two wins apiece, with one match ending level.
Three of those meetings came in the group stages in 1986, 2000 and 2002, while the other two were deep knockout battles in 2006 and 2021.
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Crucially, this is only the second time Senegal and Egypt are meeting in an AFCON semifinal.
A Golden Pattern That Favors the Winner
History offers a fascinating omen. On both previous occasions when Senegal and Egypt met in an AFCON knockout match, the winner went on to lift the trophy.
Egypt edged the semifinal in 2006 and were crowned champions. Senegal did the same in 2021, claiming their first ever AFCON title after defeating the Pharaohs on penalties following a goalless draw.
From Cairo to Dakar A Timeline of Tension
Their AFCON story began in 1986, when Senegal stunned host nation Egypt with a 1–0 win in Cairo. Egypt would recover and eventually win the tournament.
In 2000, Egypt returned the favour with a 1–0 group stage victory, a match remembered for a goal scored by none other than Hossam Hassan, now Egypt’s head coach.
Two years later, Senegal struck back again, beating Egypt 1–0 in the opening match of the 2002 tournament, before finishing as runners up.
The rivalry peaked in 2006, when Egypt defeated Senegal 2–1 in the semifinal on home soil, the only AFCON meeting between the two sides where both teams scored in open play.
A Fixture Defined by Tight Defences
Across their 15 meetings in all competitions, only that 2006 semifinal has seen both teams score. Every other match has been decided by a single goal or penalties, underlining how finely balanced this rivalry has always been.
Penalties And Senegal’s Recent Edge
The most painful memories for Egypt came in recent years.
In the 2021 AFCON final, Senegal held their nerve to win on penalties after a 0–0 draw.
Just a year later, the two sides clashed again in the 2022 FIFA World Cup play offs. After trading 1–0 home wins, Senegal once again triumphed in a penalty shootout, booking their ticket to Qatar.
Senegal have now won both penalty shoot outs contested between the teams.
Salah vs Mané The Storyline That Never Fades
Much of the spotlight will once again fall on Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané, former Liverpool teammates whose rivalry has defined African football for nearly a decade.
Salah has faced Senegal five times without scoring, managing one win, one draw and three defeats.
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Mané, by contrast, has one goal against Egypt, with three wins, one draw and one defeat.
Between 2017 and 2022, the pair played 223 matches together at Liverpool, winning six major trophies, including the Premier League and UEFA Champions League. They also shared the Premier League Golden Boot in 2018–19.
Current Form Adds Extra Intrigue
At this AFCON, Mané has been one of the competition’s chief creators, registering 14 chances created, joint highest with Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman. Salah follows closely with 12 chances created, highlighting his continued influence even without goals against Senegal.
Another Chapter Awaits
With history, rivalry and silverware all intertwined, Senegal versus Egypt once again feels like more than just a semifinal.
If the past is anything to go by, the winner in Tangier may well be taking a decisive step towards African football immortality.
