KLIK SAJA - The big match of the Africa Cup of Nations has arrived, with Senegal and Egypt set to face off in Tangier on Wednesday (local time) in what promises to be a fiercely contested semi-final.
Both sides have enjoyed remarkably similar results throughout the tournament, winning four of their five matches so far.
However, the manner in which those victories were achieved tells a very different story.
Currently ranked second in Africa, just behind tournament hosts Morocco, Senegal are aiming to reach their third AFCON final in the last four editions as they seek to reclaim their status as the continent’s top team.
Their performances since the start of the competition have been highly encouraging. The former champions recorded two wins and one draw in the group stage.
The knockout rounds have been navigated with relative ease by Pape Thiaw’s men. Senegal brushed aside Sudan 3–1 in the round of 16 before edging past Mali 1–0 in the quarter-finals.
Scoring 11 goals in five matches, Senegal have showcased an attacking force that has proven difficult to contain in their pursuit of a second continental crown.
Equally impressive has been their defensive solidity, with the Lions of Teranga keeping three clean sheets in their last five games and conceding just two goals.
In recent years, Senegal have enjoyed the upper hand against the Pharaohs, winning three of their last five meetings, including their most recent encounter, which saw Egypt eliminated from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
A major concern for Egyptian head coach Hossam Hassan is the fact that his side have managed to score only one goal against Senegal across their last five clashes.
Egypt, seven-time AFCON champions, experienced a similar group-stage campaign to Senegal, collecting two wins and one draw. However, the nature of those victories raised some questions.
The Pharaohs required a stoppage-time goal to defeat Zimbabwe in their opening match, while a penalty proved decisive against South Africa. They then settled for a goalless draw against Angola.
In the knockout stages, Egypt needed extra time to overcome Benin in the round of 16 and then edged out Côte d’Ivoire 3–2 in the quarter-finals, despite having been comfortably ahead 3–1 at one point in the match.
There remain several vulnerabilities within the Egyptian squad that Senegal could look to exploit. In contrast, Senegal appear to have a fully fit squad, a situation that will delight coach Thiaw.
