Egypt saw their AFCON campaign came to a halt after semi-final defeat to Senegal, with Sadio Mané scoring late to settle a tense contest.
For 77 minutes, the match drifted in the direction of extra time. Egypt mostly defended, offering little going forward, managing just three shots all game, and failing to register an attempt until the 84th minute.
Senegal finally broke the deadlock in the 78th minute through the one player Egypt could not afford to lose track of. The move began from distance, when Lamine Camara’s long-range strike was blocked, but the loose ball fell kindly into Mané’s path. Senegal’s all-time leading scorer controlled it with his chest and, in one quick motion, drilled a low shot into the bottom corner.
Egypt saw their only effort on target arrive deep into stoppage time, when Manchester City forward Omar Marmoush tested the goalkeeper in the 95th minute.
The outcome extended a familiar storyline at the top end of African football. Another high-stakes knockout meeting between former Liverpool teammates Mané and Mohamed Salah, and another Senegal victory.
Senegal previously beat Egypt on penalties in the 2021 AFCON final after 120 goalless minutes, with Mané converting the decisive spot-kick. Senegal also overcame Egypt in the World Cup playoff for Qatar 2022, again via a shootout. The AFCON semi-final added a third major international win for Senegal over Egypt in yet another close contest.
Senegal will now face either Nigeria or tournament hosts Morocco in Sunday’s final, while Egypt will move to the third-place match on Saturday against the loser of the second semi-final.