How did Senegal beat Egypt again? Sadio Mané reveals the secret

Mané explains how Senegal beat Egypt to reach AFCON 2025 final

How did Senegal beat Egypt again? Sadio Mané reveals the secret

Sadio Mané has revealed the tactical and mental keys behind Senegal’s semi final victory over Egypt after scoring the decisive goal that sent the Teranga Lions into the AFCON 2025 final.

Mané struck in the 78 minute at the Grand Stade de Tanger to settle tense contest and extend Senegal’s recent dominance over Egypt.

The 1-0 win sends the defending champions into their fourth Africa Cup of Nations final where they will meet the winner of Morocco vs Nigeria with their sights firmly set on retaining the crown.

Speaking to beIN SPORTS after full time, the Senegal captain insisted the victory was no accident but the product of detailed preparation and collective discipline.

“We knew from the beginning that the match would be difficult” Mané said. “Egypt have a great history in this tournament. We tried to use what we learned from previous meetings and those experiences helped us a lot”

The tactical plan

Mané explained that Senegal’s priority was to disrupt Egypt’s attacking rhythm and deny them space in key zones.

“We succeeded in preventing them from creating chances” he noted. “We controlled the ball well in midfield and imposed close, strict marking on Omar Marmoush & Mohamed Salah”

That structure allowed Senegal to dictate long spells limiting Egypt’s ability to build transitions and forcing the Pharaohs into reactive role. According to Mané, balance across the pitch was decisive.

“The secret was finding the right balance between defense, midfield and attack” he said. “This success is not mine alone, it belongs to every player who gave everything for ninety minutes”

The decisive moment

Mané’s winning goal came from a moment of individual clarity in match defined by fine margins.

“I took my chance at the right time” he explained. “The ball came well, my positioning was right and I used my scoring instinct to finish”

For Egypt the defeat ends remarkable run and marks their first semi final exit since 1984 closing chapter that had stretched over four decades.

Mané ended with message that reflects the champions mindset ahead of the final.

“We know how finals are played” he said. “A final exists to be won by any means. We will fight to take even half chances and bring the trophy back to Senegal”