Senegal will once again rely on their captain Sadio Mané for inspiration. Since the start of the tournament, Mané has registered three assists, the most for Senegal and the second-highest overall at this AFCON.
Goals have come from multiple sources, including Iliman Ndiaye, who scored the decisive goal in the previous match.
Nicolas Jackson is also pushing for a starting role after being an unused substitute in two of the last three games.
Pape Gueye’s brace against Sudan helped Senegal secure their place in the quarter-finals, and his presence will be crucial in controlling the midfield in this semi-final.
Unsurprisingly, Egypt’s hopes on Wednesday will once again rest on Mohamed Salah, who will face his former Liverpool teammate, Sadio Mané.
Salah is firmly in the race for the Golden Boot, having scored four goals in five matches. He is also on the brink of history, needing just one more goal to become Egypt’s joint all-time leading scorer in AFCON history, alongside Hassan El-Shazly.
At the back, Mohamed Hamdi is ruled out after suffering a knee injury in the first half against Benin. Ahmed Fatouh is expected to deputise once again, as he did in the quarter-final, though after scoring an own goal in that match, he will need to remain alert.
Following his second goal of the tournament against Côte d’Ivoire, attention will also be on Omar Marmoush, who is expected to lead Egypt’s attack against a well-organised and disciplined Senegalese defence.
At present, Senegal look like a well-oiled machine, while Egypt are still searching for their best rhythm. Although Senegal have had the edge in recent encounters, the last five meetings between the two sides have all been closely fought and fiercely competitive.
Score Prediction (Klik Saja)
Senegal vs Egypt: 1–1 (penalties shoot)
Predicted Line-ups
Senegal:
Mendy; Diatta, Koulibaly, Niakhaté, Diouf; Diarra, I. Gueye, P. Gueye; Ndiaye, Jackson, Mané
Egypt:
El Shenawy; Hany, Ibrahim, Rabia, Fatouh; Attia, Fathi, Adel; Salah, Marmoush, Trezeguet
