Senegal advanced to the semifinals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations with a 1-0 victory over Mali in the quarter-finals. Iliman Ndiaye scored the decisive goal in the 27th minute, while Yves Bissouma was sent off for Mali late in the first half. The match took place in Tangier, Morocco, on January 9, 2026.
In a tightly contested quarter-final at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, Senegal secured a 1-0 win over Mali in Tangier, earning a spot in the semifinals against the winner of Egypt versus Ivory Coast. The game's turning point came in the 27th minute when Everton's Iliman Ndiaye capitalized on a mistake by Mali goalkeeper Djigui Diarra. After Krepin Diatta delivered a low cross from the right, Diarra spilled the ball inside the box, allowing Ndiaye to slot it home following a scramble involving teammate Habib Diallo.
Mali's challenges mounted in first-half added time when Tottenham midfielder Yves Bissouma received a red card for two clumsy challenges, reducing his team to 10 players. This marked Mali's second successive match with a dismissal before halftime, following Woyo Coulibaly's sending off against Tunisia in the round of 16, which they won on penalties. Despite the numerical disadvantage, Mali mounted a resilient defense, with Diarra making several vital saves, including tipping Lamine Camara's late volley onto the post to prevent a second Senegal goal.
Senegal, under pressure to build on their 2021 title, controlled much of the play and deserved the victory. They remain unbeaten in 14 matches against Mali, with seven wins and seven draws, and have now won four games in open play at this tournament—their most since 2019. Mali, who drew all three group games and advanced via penalties, exit without a regulation win, last reaching the semifinals in 2013.
Mali coach Tom Saintfiet praised his team's discipline pre-match, noting, “We’ve played with discipline and we won’t be changing much around our approach.” Senegal's path forward includes a semifinal on January 14 in Tangier at 17:00 GMT.
