The ongoing 2025 AFCON in Morocco left yet another similar bitter taste in the mouths of Mo Salah and his Egypt teammates.
Senegal, inspired by a goal by none other than Salah’s former teammate Sadio Mane, overcame the Pharaohs 1-0 on January 14, 2026 to book a place in the final, and consign Egypt to settle for a third=place playoff spot.
Egypt have done brilliantly to get all the way to the semis, but they will feel hard-by to have missed out on the chance to lift their first title since 2010. However, there is a sense they would have beaten Senegal had they not avoided making errors that had serious ramifications on their AFCON 2025 chances.
Here are five key mistakes that paved the way for Senegal's victory and left Egypt wondering what could have been.
It is no secret that Mo Salah is Egypt’s talisman. However, the decision to ask him to stay wider in possession proved a mistake.
In his prime, Salah wowed Liverpool fans with his direct running from the flank, supported by Trent Alexander-Arnold. However, Salah is in his 30s nowadays, and is not the explosive force from the flanks he once was.
In their run to the semi-finals, Egypt played mostly in a 3-5-2 set up, with Salah partnering Omar Marmoush as one of the two twin strikers upfront and staying narrow.
However, coach Hosam Hassan chose to ask him to move wide, which was in hind-sight, ineffective.
Egypt tried to funnel their attacks from the right, making their attack predictable. Salah was consistently double marked by El Hadji Malick Diouf at left wing back and left sided center back Moussa Niakhate as seen on the pass map.
As a result, Marmoush was isolated throughout the game, while Emam Ashour struggled to influence the game in an attacking sense.
Although Egypt were compact and restricted Senegal to a 0.33 xg, they ceded possession and never looked like they wanted to impose themselves on the opposition.
Senegal produced 534 passes to Egypt’s 304. Their 63 long balls to Senegal’s 55 also further showcases their long-ball approach, and it forced them to cede possession to the Lions of Teranga time and time again.
Even after going a goal down, Egypt never looked like they would mount a comeback, with their first shot on target coming in stoppage time.
For much of the game, Egypt looked imperious defensively. However, it was an error that led to Mane’s 78th minute goal.
A moment of hesitation and breakdown in defensive shape occurred before Mane hit the ball from outside the box past a helpless Mohamed El Shenawy.
In a match of such fine margins, that single lapse in concentration and positioning was all a player of Mané's caliber needed to punish them.
As the match wore on, Senegal continued to impose themselves. Egypt’s plan seemed set on staying compact and potentially taking the game to extra time and penalties.
There was little evidence of new strategies to disrupt Senegal’s rhythm. They were mostly reactive, and their substitutions had limited impact on the game.
Egypt shifted to a 4-4-2 diamond narrow, but it kept their play condensed. The wingbacks did not offer sufficient quality in attack. It also did not help they lacked the width of Mohamed Trezeguet, who normally stretches defences from the flanks and is a threat from 1 v 1 situations.
Clear cut-chances were few for both sides. Egypt did have moments where a more clinical edge could have changed the game’s complexion.
A couple of half-chances in the first half, particularly from set-pieces or quick transitions, went begging due to poor execution or hesitant finishing.
The data tells it all. They only produced an Xg of 0.12, showing their struggles. They only made 3 key passes compared to Senegal’s seven.
Counter attacks, which have been the hallmark of their approach against opposition, were limited to just one key moment as per data provided by Opta. In essence, the game could still be going on right now, and the chances of Egypt finding the back of the net would have been as low as 12 percent.
The defeat will undoubtedly sting, but for Egypt and Mohamed Salah, it offers a harsh lesson in the fine margins of elite international football. Senegal's discipline and Mané's moment of brilliance ultimately capitalized on these critical Egyptian missteps, sending the Teranga Lions to the final.
