Everton playmaker Iliman Ndiaye’s first-half strike gave Senegal victory over 10-player Mali and a 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) semi-final date with Egypt or Ivory Coast.
Ndiaye pounced for the 27th-minute winner in Tangier after goalkeeper Djigui Diarra spilled Krepin Diatta’s low cross from inside the box on the right, slotting in after Habib Diallo had hurdled Diarra and the ball.
Tottenham midfielder Yves Bissouma was sent off during first-half added time, although Mali – playing their second successive match with a player dismissed before the break – held on admirably, although Diarra tipped Lamine Camara’s late volley against a post to deny Senegal a second.
The Lions of Teranga will be in Tangier again on Wednesday (17:00 GMT) to face the seven-time winners or the holders, who meet in their quarter-final in Agadir on Saturday (19:00).
More to follow
Mali vs Senegal: AFCON 2025 quarterfinal stats
- Senegal now have 20 wins to Mali’s eight in the 42 meetings between the teams, outscoring them 62-38
- They are unbeaten in their last 14 matches against Mali, recording seven wins and seven draws
- A run of 16 AFCON matches unbeaten (W11 D5) is their longest such run in the competition
- This is the first time Senegal have won four matches in open play at the same AFCON since 2019
- Their last AFCON defeat came in the 2019 final against Algeria and they have scored in their last nine AFCON matches
- They are unbeaten in open play in their last seven knockout matches across all stages
- Mali have not beaten Senegal since a 2-1 win in a friendly in November 1997
- Their previous two knockout matches had gone to extra time: the 2023 quarter-final loss to Ivory Coast and their win over Tunisia in the last 16 in Morocco
- The defeat means they have not reached the semi-finals since 2013
AFCON 2025: Mali team vs Senegal
Full-back Woyo Coulibaly was suspended for Mali. Midfielder Lassana Coulibaly recovered from a knock that had been expected to keep him out.
Mali starting XI: Djigui Diarra, Hamari Traore, Abdoulaye Diaby, Ousmane Camara, Nathan Gassama, Lassana Coulibaly, Aliou Dieng, Yves Bissouma, Amadou Haidara, Lassine Sinayoko, Mamadou Sangare
Mali substitutes: Ismael Diawara, Amadou Dante, Sikou Niakate, Dorgeles Nene, Mahamadou Doumbia, El Bilal Toure, Mohamed Camara, Fode Doucoure, Mamadou Camara, Mamadou Fofana, Mamadou Doumbia, Kamory Doumbia, Mamadou Samassa, Ibrahima Sissoko, Gaoussou Diakite
Senegal team vs Mali: AFCON 2025 quarterfinal
Nicolas Jackson was surprisingly dropped to the bench for Senegal, with Habib Diallo starting in attack. Ismaila Sarr was also left out, Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye coming in.
Captain Kalidou Koulibaly returned following a ban.
Senegal starting XI: Edouard Mendy, Krepin Diatta, Kalidou Koulibaly, Moussa Niakhate, El Hadji Malick Diouf, Habib Diarra, Idrissa Gueye, Pape Gueye, Iliman Ndiaye, Habib Diallo, Sadio Mane
Senegal substitutes: Yehvann Diouf, Mamadou Sarr, Abdoulaye Seck, Pathe Ciss, Lamine Camara, Boulaye Dia, Nicolas Jackson, Cherif Ndiaye, Ismail Jakobs, Pape Matar Sarr, Ismaila Sarr, Cheikh Sabaly, Mory Diaw, Antoine Mendy, Ibrahim Mbaye
AFCON 2025: Senegal squad
Goalkeepers: Mory Diaw (Le Havre), Yehvann Diouf (Nice), Edouard Mendy (Al-Ahli)
Defenders: Ilay Camara (Anderlecht), Krepin Diatta (Monaco), El Hadji Malik Diouf (West Ham United), Ismail Jakobs (Galatasaray), Kalidou Koulibaly (Al Hilal), Antoine Mendy (Nice), Moussa Niakhate (Lyons), Mamadou Sarr (Strasbourg), Abdoulaye Seck (Maccabi Haifa)
Midfielders: Lamine Camara (Monaco), Pathe Ciss (Rayo Vallecano), Habib Diarra (Sunderland), Idrissa Gana Gueye (Everton), Pape Gueye (Villarreal), Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham Hotspur), Ousseynou Niang (Union Saint-Gilloise)
Forwards: Boulaye Dia (Lazio), Habib Diallo (Metz), Nicolas Jackson (Bayern Munich), Sadio Mane (Al Nassr), Ibrahim Mbaye (Paris St-Germain), Cherif Ndiaye (Samsunspor), Iliman Ndiaye (Everton), Cheikh Sabaly (Metz), Ismaila Sarr (Crystal Palace)
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AFCON 2025: Mali squad
Goalkeepers: Djigui Diarra (Young Africans), Ismael Diawara (Sirius), Mamadou Samassa (Laval)
Defenders: Sikou Niakate (Braga), Abdoulaye Diaby (Grasshoppers), Woyo Coulibaly (Sassuolo), Fode Doucoure (Le Havre), Hamari Traore (Paris FC), Nathan Gassama (Baltika Kalinigrad), Mamadou Fofana (New England Revolution), Ousmane Camara (Angers), Amadou Dante (Arouca)
Midfielders: Amadou Haidara (RB Leipzig), Lassana Coulibaly (Lecce), Mohamed Camara (Al Sadd), Mamadou Sangare (Lens), Aliou Dieng (Al Ahly), Yves Bissouma (Tottenham), Mahamadou Doumbia (Al-Ittihad), Ibrahima Sissoko (Bochum)
Forwards: Nene Dorgeles (Fenerbahce), Gaoussou Diarra (Feyenoord), Mamadou Camara (Laval), Kamory Doumbia (Brest), El Bilal Toure (Besiktas), Mamadou Doumbia (Watford), Lassine Sinayoko (Auxerre), Gaoussou Diakite (Lausanne)
AFCON 2025 fixtures, results, full Africa Cup of Nations schedule
All times are GMT.
Sunday, December 21 2025
- Group A: Morocco 2-0 Comoros (Rabat)
Monday, December 22 2025
- Group A: Mali 1-1 Zambia (Casablanca)
- Group B: South Africa 2-1 Angola (Marrakech)
- Group B: Egypt 2-1 Zimbabwe (Agadir)
Tuesday, December 23 2025
- Group D: Senegal 3-0 Botswana (Tangie)
- Group D: DR Congo 1-0 Benin (Rabat)
- Group C: Nigeria 2-1 Tanzania (Fes)
- Group C: Tunisia 3-1 Uganda (Rabat)
Wednesday, December 24 2025
- Group E: Burkina Faso 2-1 Equatorial Guinea (Casablanca)
- Group E: Algeria 3-0 Sudan (Rabat)
- Group F: Ivory Coast 1-0 Mozambique (Marrakech)
- Group F: Cameroon 1-0 Gabon (Agadir)
Friday, December 26 2025
- Group B: Angola 1-1 Zimbabwe (Marrakech)
- Group B: Egypt 1-0 South Africa (Agadir)
- Group A: Zambia 0-0 Comoros (Casablanca)
- Group A: Morocco 1-1 Mali (Rabat)
Saturday, December 27 2025
- Group D: Benin 1-0 Botswana (Rabat)
- Group D: Senegal 1-1 DR Congo (Tangier)
- Group C: Uganda 1-1 Tanzania (Rabat)
- Group C: Nigeria 3-2 Tunisia (Fes)
Sunday, December 28 2025
- Group F: Gabon 2-3 Mozambique (Agadir)
- Group E: Equatorial Guinea 0-1 Sudan (Casablanca)
- Group E: Algeria 1-0 Burkina Faso (Rabat)
- Group F: Ivory Coast 1-1 Cameroon, (Marrakech)
Monday, December 29 2025
- Group B: Angola 0-0 Egypt (Agadir)
- Group B: Zimbabwe 2-3 South Africa (Marrakech)
- Group A: Comoros 0-0 Mali (Casablanca)
- Group A: Zambia 0-3 Morocco (Rabat)
Tuesday, December 30 2025
- Group C: Tanzania 1-1 Tunisia (Rabat)
- Group C: Uganda 1-3 Nigeria (Fes)
- Group D: Benin 0-3 Senegal (Tangier)
- Group D: Botswana 0-3 DR Congo (Rabat)
Wednesday, December 31 2025
- Group E: Equatorial Guinea 1-3 Algeria (Rabat)
- Group E: Sudan 0-2 Burkina Faso (Casablanca)
- Group F: Gabon 2-3 Ivory Coast (Marrakech)
- Group F: Mozambique 1-2 Cameroon (Agadir)
Africa Cup of Nations 2025 round of 16
Saturday, January 3 2026
- SR1: Senegal 3-1 Sudan (Tangier)
- SR2: Mali 1-1 Tunisia (3-2 on penalties) (Casablanca)
Sunday, January 4
- SR3: Morocco 1-0 Tanzania (Rabat)
- SR4: South Africa 1-2 Cameroon (Rabat)
Monday, January 5
- SR5: Egypt 3-1 Benin (after extra time) (Agadir)
- SR6: Nigeria 4-0 Mozambique (Fes)
Tuesday, January 6
- SR7: Algeria 1-0 DR Congo (after extra time) (Rabat)
- SR8: Ivory Coast 3-0 Burkina Faso (Marrakech)
Africa Cup of Nations 2025 quarter-finals
Friday, January 9
- QF1: Mali 0-1 Senegal (Tangier)
- QF2: Cameroon vs Morocco (Rabat, 19:00)
Saturday, January 10
- QF3: Algeria vs Nigeria (Marrakech, 16:00)
- QF4: Egypt vs Ivory Coast (Agadir, 19:00)
Africa Cup of Nations 2025 semi-finals
Wednesday, January 14
- SF1: Winner QF1 vs Winner QF4 (Tangier, 17:00)
- SF2: Winner QF3 vs Winner QF2 (Rabat, 20:00)
Africa Cup of Nations 2025 third-place match
Saturday, January 17
- SF1 vs SF2 losers (Casablanca, 16:00)
Africa Cup of Nations 2025 final
Sunday, January 18
- SF1 vs SF2 winners (Rabat, 19:00)