The AFCON Review | Morocco and Senegal advance to set up blockbuster final in Rabat

AFCON 2025 Semi-finals, 15/01/2025

As he was keen to underline in his pre-match press conference, Walid Regragui has only lost four matches in three and a half years as Morocco’s head coach. The former defender, who had also made it a point to bat away accusations of favourable refereeing, had to an extent already responded to the criticism from his compatriots by taking the Atlas Lions to the last four.

Now, Regragui is one match away from leading Morocco to their first continental title in half a century, an achievement which may even top the World Cup semi-final three years ago. Standing in the Atlas Lions’ way, though, is a Senegal side led by a star man who has once again stepped up to the occasion. In any case, the first-ever meeting at the Africa Cup of Nations between the two countries will be one to remember.

Nigeria 0-0 Morocco (pens, 2-4) 

It was Calvin Bassey who led the Super Eagles out onto the pitch ninety minutes before kick-off, ostensibly to get a preview of the hostile atmosphere that was expecting them. The defender, whose yellow card ruled him out for the next match, was right to do so, considering the deafening whistles and booing that soundtracked every Nigerian touch of the ball. 

The rare chances of the opening passages of the match fell to Ayoub El Kaabi, with a characteristically acrobatic attempt from close range, and the tournament’s top goalscorer Brahim Díaz from a header. An Ademola Lookman attempt from the edge of the box was the biggest test in the first half for Yassine Bounou.

A more incisive Nigeria gained the upper hand in the second half, although Stanley Nwabali was called into action early on by a sweeping effort from Abde Ezzalzouli. The Super Eagles goalkeeper would deny Real Betis man once again ten minutes from time, shortly after Morocco claimed a penalty over an unintentional handball by Bassey. 

The Fulham man was the standout player for Éric Chelle’s men, who managed to hold out throughout the final moments of the second half and in extra-time as the momentum swung the hosts’ way. The hero of the night would be Yassine Bounou, whose unconventional save from Onyemaechi’s penalty paved the way for En-Nesyri’s winning strike.

Lille forward Hamza Igamane, whose spot-kick was turned away by Nwabali, will have been the most relieved man on the pitch. Paris FC’s Moses Simon had the captain’s armband by the end of the match, as Victor Osimhen eventually limped off after struggling through the second half. The ex-Lille striker would ultimately be unable to replicate the all-action display which fired the Super Eagles past Algeria.

Senegal 1-0 Egypt

The match was understandably billed as a battle between Sadio Mané and Mohamed Salah, and a rematch of sorts of the 2022 final. Four years ago, it was Mané who scored the winning penalty for Senegal, clinching the Teranga Lions’ first-ever continental title.

The former Liverpool man was the hero once more in Tangier, this time settling the game inside regulation time with a 78th-minute strike. Mané would be fastest to react to a deflection on Lamine Camara’s shot, beating El-Shenawy from the edge of the box to score his second goal at this year’s edition.

For the first time in the tournament, Paris Saint-Germain’s Ibrahim Mbaye remained on the bench. Lyon’s Moussa Niakhaté and Monaco’s Krépin Diatta retained their spot in the starting backline. The latter turned in a particularly impressive performance, shutting out Egypt’s left wing by winning the majority of his one-on-one duels.

All eyes will be on Mané again on Sunday in Rabat, in what will be Senegal’s first match outside of Tangier. A perplexing suspension rule, however, means that both Kalidou Koulibaly and Habib Diarra will miss the AFCON finale after accumulating too many yellow cards over the course of the tournament.

GFFN | Raphaël Jucobin – reporting from Rabat