Senegal, the 2021 champions, will face Mali in the last eight on Friday (9 January) in Tangier with a place in the semi-finals at stake at the Africa Cup of Nations 2025. Find out the key details of the game, including head-to-head information and how to watch the action live.
Senegal’s Teranga Lions, who won the tournament in 2021, will face Mali in the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations 2025. If Mali make it through this stern test, it will be the first time the Eagles will have made the AFCON semi-finals since 2013.
The match will take place at the Ibn Battouta stadium in Tangier, with the kick-off scheduled for 17:00 local time, which is the same as Central European Time (CET), and 11:00 Eastern Standard Time (EST).
West African derby delight
The two francophone sides have contrasting styles of play that should make for a fascinating match-up.
Senegal love to play fast, direct, attacking football, while Mali are pleased to sit back, give up possession and absorb pressure. Mali’s pragmatic style isn’t so pleasing on the eye but it has got them over the line.
The Eagles have picked up notable results, including a 1-1 draw against hosts Morocco and a gritty penalty shootout win with 10 men against Tunisia in the Round of 16.
Senegal, on the other hand, have been expansive, dynamic and fluid in attacking phases of play – scoring 10 goals in the tournament so far. Defensively, the Lions of Teranga have been compact, conceding just two goals against Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The 2021 champions were behind after only six minutes against Sudan after affording Aamir Abdallah time and space to pick out the corner of the net in their box. Fans were quick to point out the absence of captain Kalidou Koulibaly as a primary factor for their porous defending in the opening quarter.
Koulibaly has served his one-match ban following his sending-off against Benin in the last group game and will be available for selection. The captain’s return will be the only significant change for the Lions of Teranga.
For a second successive game, Mali were reduced to 10 men against Tunisia in the last 16. Physicality is a core part of Mali’s game and they will have to tone down on it against Senegal. But Amadou Haidara will be available for selection after his red card against Comoros in the final group game.
However, Woyo Coulibaly will miss the match, serving a one-game ban for a red-card offence after he caught Tunisia’s Hannibal Mejbri with his studs.
READ MORE: https://www.olympics.com/en/news/afcon-2025-quarter-final-preview-senegal-mali
