After three-and-a-half weeks of pulsating AFCON 2025 action, the tournament is now approaching its climax, and Wednesday’s semi final action has epitomised just how epic the tournament in Morocco has been.
Sadio Mane inspired Senegal to yet another AFCON triumph over Egypt, just like he did during the 2021 edition in Cameroon. This means Mo Salah will have to wait until 2027 to stand a chance of lifting the crown.
Nigeria’s seemingly indomitable run was brought to an abrupt end by Morocco, buoyed by strong home support. These were among the memorable moments from Wednesday’s action. Striver Football delves deeper into these moments:
The second semi-final in Rabat featured Morocco taking on Nigeria with an eye on making the final for the first time in over four decades.
The action had to go all the way to extra time and penalties, and that is after Morocco dominated but could not convert their chances into goals.
The match ultimately went to a penalty shootout. Moroccan keeper Yassine Bounou was the hero. He saved two crucial spotkicks, first from Fulham winger Samuel Chukuweze and then Bruno Onyemaechi.
Youssef En-Nesyri stepped up to convert the final penalty, winning the shootout 4-2 to send the home support into raptures.
Nigeria’s Stanley Nwabali also did well for himself as he saved one penalty, but it was not enough. This now means Nigeria, who have reached the semi-finals in three of the last four editions, will have to wait again until 2027.
In what was a highly anticipated clash between two of Africa’s biggest football stars, Sadio Mane emerged victorious over Mohamed Salah in yet another AFCON competition.
Salah was hoping to avenge his former Liverpool teammate after Senegal beat Egypt in the 2021 final in Cameroon. However, Mane’s teammates proved superior once more.
The decisive moment came in the 78th minute when Mane capitalised on a fortunate deflection just outside the box and fired a low shot past the Egyptian goalkeeper, Mohamed El Shenawy.
Senegal simply outclassed Egypt, and the result in the end, flattered the Pharaohs. Senegal registered 11 shots to Egypt’s four. Although Egypt adopted their cautious approach, they could not maximise using Omar Marmoush and Salah’s speed on the break, like it worked against Ivory Coast.
Speaking of Salah and Mane, one of the most poignant moments occurred in the tunnel. Before walking out, both players shared a long, warm embrace before leading their respective teams onto the pitch.
The rivalry between both has been documented before despite being former Liverpool teammates. However, the display of mutual respect between the duo, who each have two African Player of the Year titles to their name, served as a powerful reminder of the spirit of the game.
The tournament final will now feature two of Afrfica’s highest ranked teams in Senegal and Morocco respectively. The final, scheduled for Sunday, January 18, promises a high-quality encounter between both nations.
