Mali’s luck ran out on Friday evening as they were edged out of the Africa Cup of Nations by Senegal in Tangier. Just one goal was the difference on the night, as Illiman Ndiaye took advantage of a howler from Mali goalkeeper Djigui Diarra. The Young Africans shotstopper spilled a cross directly into Ndiaye’s path in the six-yard box, and he made no mistake tapping the eventual winner home.
Senegal were far from perfect on the night, but did just enough to keep their heads above water. They were helped to that end by Yves Bissouma, who was shown a pair of yellow cards in the first half to leave his team-mates shorthanded. Diarra had been the villain in the first half, but he almost turned hero in the second as he came up with a rash of impressive saves to keep the Eagles in it, but the nine outfielders in front of him could not match the feat.
Senegal will face either Egypt or Ivory Coast in the semi-final, with their opponent to be decided on Saturday. Catch up with the action as it happened below with our dedicated match blog, featuring expert insight and analysis.
Mali vs Senegal latest news
- RED CARD! Bissouma dismissed
- GOAL! Senegal lead through Ndiaye
- Mali XI
- Senegal XI
FULL TIME: Mali 0-1 Senegal
18:02 , Arthur FerridgeThere’s the final whistle - Senegal go through!
Mali 0-1 Senegal
17:57 , Arthur Ferridge90+2mins: Another colossal save from Diarra, who pushes a volleyed shot onto the post to keep Mali in this. He’s been brilliant in this second half.
Mali 0-1 Senegal
17:55 , Arthur Ferridge90mins: Traore is booked, now, for another late tackle.
The fourth official holds up seven added minutes.
Mali 0-1 Senegal
17:51 , Arthur Ferridge86mins: This is a plucky finish from Mali, here. They’re pushing for their equaliser but are quite exposed on the counter.
Mali 0-1 Senegal
17:49 , Arthur Ferridge83mins: Not long left, now, and Mane looks absolutely shattered. Still Senegal are hanging on.
Mali 0-1 Senegal
17:43 , Arthur Ferridge78mins: Time is quickly running out for Mali here. Just over ten minutes of normal time remaining for them to get on the board.
Mali 0-1 Senegal
17:41 , Arthur Ferridge76mins: What a goal that could have been! Pathe Ciss is clean through on goal after intercepting a backpass, but his shot is too close to Diarra.
Mali 0-1 Senegal
17:40 , Arthur Ferridge75mins: Here we go - Ibrahim Mbaye is on! He replaces Illiman Ndiaye, the goalscorer. One more change, too, as another Ndiaye replaces Diallo.
Mali 0-1 Senegal
17:36 , Arthur Ferridge72mins: Afters between Malick Diouf and Traore, but neither party is penalised.
Mali 0-1 Senegal
17:35 , Arthur Ferridge70mins: Ciss is back on his feet with a comically large bandage across his forehead.
Mali 0-1 Senegal
17:34 , Arthur Ferridge69mins: Dieng is replaced by Diakite as Ciss receives treatment on that cut.
Mali 0-1 Senegal
17:32 , Arthur Ferridge67mins: Another great save from Diarra! Ciss gets great power behind a header from Diatta’s corner and the Malian does superbly to deny him.
The Senegal man seems to have sustained a nasty cut in the process, though.
Mali 0-1 Senegal
17:31 , Arthur Ferridge66mins: Diarra does well to parry a stinging shot from Mane.
Mali 0-1 Senegal
17:27 , Arthur Ferridge63mins: Ciss replaces Diarra for Senegal, and Camara is on for Pape Gueye.
Mali 0-1 Senegal
17:26 , Arthur Ferridge62mins: A great save from Mendy to deny Camara, but the flag was up on the far side regardless.
Mali 0-1 Senegal
17:25 , Arthur Ferridge60mins: Senegal maintain their slender lead at the hour mark. Potentially tournament-defining 30 minutes to follow, though.
Mali 0-1 Senegal
17:22 , Arthur Ferridge58mins: A no-nonsense header from Koulibaly clears the danger from the corner.
Mali 0-1 Senegal
17:22 , Arthur Ferridge57mins: Mali nearly take full advantage of their set-piece! The free-kick falls to the back post and Diaby gets a great shot away, but Mendy is quick down to the near post and denies him. Corner for Mali now, though.
Mali 0-1 Senegal
17:21 , Arthur Ferridge56mins: Habib Diarra of Sunderland is the latest to be booked after pulling Sangare’s shirt.
Mali 0-1 Senegal
17:19 , Arthur Ferridge54mins: A change for Mali as Haidara, who has had persistent shoulder problems throughout the first half, comes off for Nene Dorgeles.
Mali 0-1 Senegal
17:18 , Arthur Ferridge53mins: Senegal’s latest attack is cut short as Malick Diouf catches Traore in the air, and the Malian lands hard on his back. Unintentional, of course, but that looked sore.
Mali 0-1 Senegal
17:17 , Arthur Ferridge52mins: Diallo rises highest and gets his head to Diatta’s free-kick, but his effort is just over the bar.
Mali 0-1 Senegal
17:14 , Arthur Ferridge49mins: Idrissa Gueye shoots from range and forces a good save from Diarra.
Mali 0-1 Senegal
17:13 , Arthur Ferridge48mins: A great start from Mali as Sinayoko gets free down the left flank, cuts inside, and forces Mendy to get down quickly and deal with his low cross.
Mali 0-1 Senegal
17:12 , Arthur Ferridge47mins: This is Senegal’s game to lose, now. All they need to do is keep it simple and kill it off, before ten-man Mali can mount a response.
2ND HALF: Mali 0-1 Senegal
17:10 , Arthur FerridgeBack underway!
H/T: Mali 0-1 Senegal
16:55 , Arthur FerridgeFar from a classic thus far, but Mali find themselves with a mountain to climb at the break. They are a man down and a goal down, with 45 minutes left to rescue their AFCON campaign.
Mali 0-1 Senegal
16:53 , Arthur Ferridge45+8mins: Yet another injury stoppage in injury time. It is Haidara back on the deck with a shoulder injury, and he perhaps looks to have dislocated it.
Mali 0-1 Senegal
16:52 , Arthur Ferridge45+7mins: Mane is open at the back post and shoots wide.
Mali 0-1 Senegal
16:52 , Arthur Ferridge45+6mins: Upon further inspection, seems Bissouma’s sending off was for a bad foul, but it remains unconfirmed by CAF.
Anyway, we are playing on here, with seven of the five added minutes played.
Mali 0-1 Senegal
16:51 , Arthur Ferridge45+45mins: Another injury stoppage as Coulibaly catches Diarra late and the latter looks to have come away with a head injury.
Mali 0-1 Senegal
16:50 , Arthur Ferridge45+5mins: Time for Senegal to turn the screw. They’ll be looking to kill this off sooner rather than later.
Mali 0-1 Senegal
16:49 , Arthur Ferridge45+4mins: Seems that was a second yellow for dissent, but we will confirm as soon as we can.
RED CARD! Mali 0-1 Senegal
16:48 , Arthur Ferridge45+3mins: Yves Bissouma is sent off!
Mali 0-1 Senegal
16:45 , Arthur Ferridge45mins: A bit of cold spray and Diarra is good as new.
Five minutes are added on to end the first half.
Mali 0-1 Senegal
16:44 , Arthur Ferridge44mins: Another injury stoppage here, as Haidara is down clutching his shoulder and looks to be in some pain.
Mali 0-1 Senegal
16:43 , Arthur Ferridge43mins: Mali win a corner and take it very deep. It dribbles out at the far side.
Mali 0-1 Senegal
16:40 , Arthur Ferridge39mins: Senegal win a free-kick, high in the left channel. Mane has a go and Diarra spills it again, but he manages to save the follow-up shot.
Mali 0-1 Senegal
16:38 , Arthur Ferridge38mins: Ndiaye attempts an acrobatic shot from the corner and fires over the bar.
Mali 0-1 Senegal
16:38 , Arthur Ferridge38mins: A wonderful long ball is brought down by Diallo, and he makes the misguided decision to shoot from a tight angle rather than square it. He is fortunate to come away with a corner.
Mali 0-1 Senegal
16:35 , Arthur Ferridge35mins: Another injury stoppage here. Seems to be Traore of Mali down with a head injury.
Mali 0-1 Senegal
16:32 , Arthur Ferridge32mins: Pape Gueye really wants a goal today - he has a go from range and it fizzes narrowly wide of the right post. Diarra had it covered, anyway, but it wasn’t far away.
Mali 0-1 Senegal
16:31 , Arthur Ferridge32mins: Haidara, the winger who wears No4, catches Diatta very late and somehow gets away without a booking.
Mali 0-1 Senegal
16:30 , Arthur Ferridge29mins: You wonder if that might be a floodgates moment. Senegal have been on top thus far and that goal has been coming for some time. A bit of intent and they could kill this off before half-time.
GOAL! Mali 0-1 Senegal | Ndiaye '28
16:28 , Arthur FerridgeSENEGAL LEAD! That is a howler from Diarra, who spills a cross under minimal pressure and leaves the ball loose in the six-yard box. Ndiaye is all too happy to tap it in.
Mali 0-0 Senegal
16:25 , Arthur Ferridge26mins: The corner falls to Djeng, who doesn’t quite catch his shot right.
Mali 0-0 Senegal
16:25 , Arthur Ferridge25mins: Sinayoko gets free on the break and bears down on goal, but the backtracking Niakhate gets back to tackle him. Mali come again and demand a save from Mendy through Gassama’s shot.
Mali 0-0 Senegal
16:23 , Arthur Ferridge23mins: Bissouma goes into the book for an unnecessary tackle. Should Mali progress, he will be banned for the semi-final.
Mali 0-0 Senegal
16:21 , Arthur Ferridge21mins: Pape Gueye gets another shot off from the edge of the area, but his own man gets in his way. It deflects off a Senegalese forward in the box and goes behind for a goal-kick.
Mali 0-0 Senegal
16:20 , Arthur Ferridge20mins: Diarra is back on his feet - we play on.
Mali 0-0 Senegal
16:19 , Arthur Ferridge19mins: Diarra just went down off the ball, hard to say what was wrong with him there.
Mali 0-0 Senegal
16:18 , Arthur Ferridge18mins: Uh-oh, an injury worry for Mali here as the shotstopper Diarra goes to ground and requires treatment.
Mali 0-0 Senegal
16:15 , Arthur Ferridge15mins: The Mali corner is cleared away with ease.
Mali 0-0 Senegal
16:14 , Arthur Ferridge14mins: Sinayoko goes on a smart solo run down the left wing, and Koulibaly tackles him out for a corner. The Malian has Koulibaly’s number thus far.
Mali 0-0 Senegal
16:13 , Arthur Ferridge13mins: Senegal are asking all the right questions at the moment, but are yet to properly threaten Diarra in goal. They have had all the possession, most of the territory, just need to get some shots on goal.
Mali 0-0 Senegal
16:11 , Arthur Ferridge11ins: Another penalty shout! pape Thiaw is convinced there was a handball in the box, there, but the referee is thoroughly uninterested.
Mali 0-0 Senegal
16:11 , Arthur Ferridge11mins: The corner comes to nothing, but Mali can’t quite get out. Senegal remain hovering around the final third.
Mali 0-0 Senegal
16:10 , Arthur Ferridge10mins: The first shot of the afternoon as Pape Gueye drives one low across goal. It is deflected behind for a corner.
Mali 0-0 Senegal
16:09 , Arthur Ferridge9mins: Coulibaly catches Gueye in an aerial. Subtly cynical way to break up the play, that. A professional foul.
Mali 0-0 Senegal
16:05 , Arthur Ferridge5mins: We will continue after Sinayoko has received treatment. Koulibaly needs to get his head in the game - that is a lucky escape for Senegal.
Mali 0-0 Senegal
16:04 , Arthur Ferridge4mins: It is Sinayoko who went down, but our referee is already waving away any complaints. It doesn’t seem this one will even go to VAR!
Mali 0-0 Senegal
16:03 , Arthur Ferridge3mins: Penalty shout for Mali as Koulibaly puts in a clumsy challenge in the box. I’m floored that hasn’t been given.
Mali 0-0 Senegal
16:02 , Arthur Ferridge2mins: Senegal start on the ball but have their pockets picked in midfield before they can go anywhere. Even playing field in the opening exchanges.
KICK-OFF! Mali 0-0 Senegal
16:00 , Arthur FerridgeThe national anthems have been sung, and this match, the first quarter-final of AFCON 2025, is underway!
Senegal, in white, take the kick-off. Mali are in green shirts and yellow shorts.
The players are out...
15:53 , Arthur FerridgeKick-off is moments away!
Not long to go now
15:50 , Arthur FerridgeWith 10 minutes to kick-off, hee’s a reminder of today’s starting XIs.
Mali XI: Diarra, Traore, Haidara, Diaby, Bissouma, Coulibaly, Sinayoko, Sangare, Dieng, Camara, Gassama
Senegal XI: Mendy; Niakhate, Koulibaly, Malick Diouf, Diatta, Gana Gueye, Pape Gueye, Diarra, Ndiaye, Mane, Diallo
Pape Thiaw previews the tie
15:45 , Arthur FerridgeSenegal manager Pape Thiaw reveals he has Malian heritage!
“Tomorrow (Friday), we will need to maintain a defensive balance, but above all, be efficient in front of goal. We are a team that creates a lot of chances. Against a team that is hungry and will want to eliminate us, we will need to be clinical. We know where we want to go.
“I am half Malian and half Senegalese. My mother supports Mali, my father supports Senegal. But I am first and foremost a professional coach, and there is no room for feelings.
“If we want to go far in this competition, we have to win. It won’t be easy, but we will have to bring together all the ingredients to secure qualification.
“Mali is a brotherly country. We are rivals on the field, but it remains a football match.”
Tom Saintfiet explains how to beat Senegal
15:39 , Arthur FerridgeMali boss Tom Saintfiet has explained how his Mali side are going to get one over on Senegal here.
“Senegal is one of the biggest teams on the continent. They have been at the highest level for years and are very stable, with great individual quality and strong team cohesion. In 2025, they have only lost once, against Brazil. They beat England and drew with Ireland, very good results for an African team.
“They are the favorites and we are the outsiders, and we accept that. But we have already shown against Morocco and Tunisia that we are not afraid. We also have good players. Our only undoing is not scoring as many goals as we would like, but we are very disciplined when we don’t have the ball. Our plan is ready for Senegal. We have a lot of respect for them and we will do everything possible to stay in this competition until the end.”
Stage set
15:35 , Arthur FerridgeThis afternoon’s match will be staged at the stunning Grand Stade de Tanger.
Opened in 2011 and recently renovated, it seats 75,500 fans.
Senegal have played all of their AFCON 2025 matches here, while it’ll be a debut at this ground for Mali, who have been based out of Casablanca and Rabat thus far.
Derby day?
15:30 , Arthur FerridgeThis match will prove to be something of a west African derby.
Senegal share a 489km border with Mali.
The two sides have only faced one another in an AFCON match once, and it ended in a draw.
Plenty of pride on the line today, then.
Fine form
15:26 , Arthur FerridgeSadio Mane has scored or assisted a goal in each of his last three AFCON matches.
In teeing up Pape Gueye last time out, the former Liverpool star became the most prolific playmaker in the tournament’s history, with nine assists.
AFCON pedigree abound
15:18 , Arthur FerridgeBoth Mali and Senegal are regulars at the business end of this tournament.
According to CAF Online, this will be an eighth quarter-final appearance for Mali, and a tenth for Senegal.
The Lions of Teranga have won at this stage of the tournament three of the last four times they have reached it.
What to make of the Mali XI
15:14 , Arthur FerridgeNot a massive amount to report, here.
Tottenham’s Yves Bissouma starts in midfield.
Where one Coulibaly is out suspended, another has overcome a knock to start here.
What to make of the Senegal XI
15:12 , Arthur FerridgeBig news here appears to be that Nicolas Jackson of Bayern Munich has been benched.
Koulibaly slots back in after serving his suspension.
The various Sarrs - Pape Matar, Ismaila, and Mamadou - are all named to the bench.
MALI TEAM NEWS
15:10 , Arthur FerridgeAnd here are the Malians who stand in Senegal’s way.
Mali XI: Diarra, Traore, Haidara, Diaby, Bissouma, Coulibaly, Sinayoko, Sangare, Dieng, Camara, Gassama
SENEGAL TEAM NEWS
15:05 , Arthur FerridgeHere’s how the Lions of Teranga shape up this afternoon.
Senegal XI: Mendy; Niakhate, Koulibaly, Malick Diouf, Diatta, Gana Gueye, Pape Gueye, Diarra, Ndiaye, Mane, Diallo
Subs: Diouf, Diaw, M. Sarr, Mendy, Seck, Jakobs, Matar Sarr, Ciss, Camara, Mbaye, I. Sarr, Ndiaye, Dio, Jackson, Sabaly
Mali results in full
14:57 , Arthur FerridgeMali, believe it or not, have reached the quarter-fnals of AFCON without winning a match inside 90 minutes. They drew all of their group stage matches, and required penalties to beat Mali last time out.
Here are their AFCON 2025 results in full:
Group stage
Mali 1-1 Zambia
Mali 1-1 Morocco
Mali 0-0 Comoros
Quarter-finals: Mali 1-1 Tunisia AET (3-2 pens)
Other AFCON quarter final ties
14:49 , Arthur FerridgeThere are some mouth-watering fixtures in the AFCON quarter-finals.
Of course, we here have Mali and Senegal, facing off for the privilege of facing one of Egypt and Ivory Coast in the semi-final.
But on the opposite side of the bracket, there are two more thrillers in store.
The first is Algeria vs Nigeria - a rhyming derby - to be held in Marrakech tomorrow at 4pm. It will, of course, be LIVE on Standard Sport.
The winner of that tie, though, will face Cameroon or Morocco - a blockbuster fixture to be sure. It will also be brought to you LIVE by Standard Sport!
Last time out for Senegal
14:41 , Arthur FerridgeSenegal booked their place in the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals after Pape Gueye’s first-half brace helped them come from behind to beat Sudan.
The match was Senegal’s to lose as they served as the opposition in this, Sudan’s first-ever knockout match at an AFCON tournament, and they made no mistake despite trailing early to Aamir Abdallah’s smartly-hit opener.
But the scoreline was reversed before the break as Gueye finished a pair of chances, and 17-year-old Paris Saint-Germain starlet Ibrahim Mbaye put a final nail in the coffin late on with an emphatic near-post finish.
Veteran forward Sadio Mane and Crystal Palace winger Ismaila Sarr were the creative masterminds behind the comeback, with the former’s assist for Gueye’s first of the night making him the most productive playmaker in the tournament’s history.
Who's up in the next round?
14:33 , Arthur FerridgeThe winner of this afternoon’s tie will face either Egypt or Ivory Coast in the AFCON semi-finals.
Those two nations will face one another tomorrow.
Mali vs Senegal head to head
14:25 , Arthur FerridgeMali wins: 2
Senegal wins: 7
Draws: 6
Standard Sport prediction: Lions roar
14:17 , Arthur FerridgeWhile Mali are a plucky team that will provide stubborn resistance, you would have to expect Senegal’s stars to power through into the semis here.
Koulibaly’s return at the back only strengthens them, and he has formed a solid partnership with former Nottingham Forest man Mosusa Niakhate at centre-half.
Senegal to win, 3-1.
Senegal early team news: Koulibaly back from suspension
14:09 , Arthur FerridgeFor Thiaw’s Senegal, Kalidou Koulibaly was suspended for the victory over Sudan after he saw red against Benin, but he should be back in contention to start here.
Winger Assane Diao was forced to withdraw from the squad just before the tournament with a muscle injury he sustained playing for Como against Roma.
Besides from Koulibaly’s return, the Lions are in good shape to take on their tricky opponents in Tangiers, boasting one of the most star-studded squads at the tournament.
Mane is their star man off the left, and they have Bayern Munich striker Nicolas Jackson up top.
Former Chelsea man Edouard Mendy keeps goal for Thiaw’s side.
Mali early team news: Coulibaly suspended
14:01 , Arthur FerridgeFor Mali, Gaoussou Diarra is out injured with an ankle sprain, while Woyo Coulibaly will be suspended after his red card against Tunisia.
Haidara could come back into the side after sitting out the last 16 win with his own suspension.
Otherwise, Saintfiet has a full complement to pick from.
How to watch Mali vs Senegal
13:53 , Arthur FerridgeTV channel: Every match of the tournament will be broadcast across Channel 4’s network.
The game will be broadcast on E4, with coverage starting at 3.30pm GMT.
Live stream: UK viewers will be able to stream games on the Channel 4 Sport YouTube or Channel 4’s official website and app.
Good afternoon
13:46 , Arthur FerridgeHello, and welcome to Standard Sport’s LIVE coverage of Mali vs Senegal at AFCON 2025!
The quarter-final stage is upon us, and, thus, a spot in the semi-finals is on the line. Will Mali be able to upset the Lions of Teranga?
Follow along here as we wait to find out. Kick-off is pencilled in for 4pm GMT.
Stick with us!
