The Stakes: a West African Derby to a Semi-Final Berth.
The Grand Stadium in Tangier was the venue of a typical West African confrontation. On the one hand, Senegal, the heavyweight of the tournament and champions in 2022, entered it with the air of self-assured authority. They had won 15 straight AFCON matches and had demonstrated a terrifying attack during the tournament.
Their rivals, Mali, were the embodiment of a hardbop underdog. They had reached the quarter-finals without winning any game during regular time and had advanced to the quarter-finals through a shred-your-gin nerves penalty shootout after their tie with Tunisia in the last-16.
History was very much in favor of Senegal who entered the match at 13 match unbeaten streak and Mali had not won a match in the year 1997.
Date &Location: Friday, January 9, 2026, Stade Ibn Batouta, Tangier.
The Prize: a semi-final with the winner of the match between Egypt and the Ivory Coast.
A Game Defined by Killer Moves.
In my own opinion, the story of the match was created in three acts.
The first goal was one that came as a result of a disastrous mistake. After 27 minutes, the Malian goalkeeper Djigui Diarra dropped a simple ball and the ball slipped between his hands. The Iliman Ndiaye of Senegal had no choice but to receive the easiest of finishes at close quarters to get the Lions of Teranga ahead.
The second, and even the decisive, came in the eve of the half. The captain and midfield driver of Mali, Yves Bissouma, got his second yellow card due to an unnecessary foul on Idrissa Gana Gueye. Having five men left, the already hard task of Mali became a titanic one.
The last episode was the heroic and vain second-half charge of Mali. They were not going to surrender even though they were outnumbered. Diarra, a goalkeeper who needed redemption over his previous error, saved his team a number of times critically by denying Sadio Mane and others to stay in the game.
Nevertheless, the Senegalese defense under the leadership of seasoned Kalidou Koulibaly stayed strong to ensure a narrow but deserved 1-0 win.
Excellent Performances and Strategic Changeovers.
Controlled Aggression: Senegal appeared the smoother side even earlier than the red card. Pape Thiaw, the coach, made clever substitutions after gaining an upper hand on the opponent by bringing out a man, which helped him to renew his attack and retain the lead.
Defiant Spirit of Mali: Performance by Mali was one of great courage. Those fighting skills were embodied by players under the leadership of coach Tom Saintfiet who had pre-emptively described the match as a war. They were given tremendous respect due to their dogged work in the second half with Diarra playing a heroic role as a goalkeeper.
Key Players: In the case of Senegal, the win was secured by goal-scorer Iliman Ndiaye, and Sadio Mane was threatening the Malian backline all the time. In the case of Mali, the saving efforts of Djigui Diarra in the second half were exceptional, and the rate at which the whole team worked after Bissouma was sent off was commendable.
How to Catch the Rest of AFCON 2025
In case you get inspired by this conflict and you wish to watch the end of the tournament, then here is what you need to know. Channel 4 is the sole free-to-air in the United Kingdom. Matches are available in real-time on either Channel 4 or E4 or on-demand through the Channel 4 site or through the All4 app.
Its service is compatible with many different types of devices that include:
Also smarth TVs (LG, Samsung, Android TV, Google TV).
Streaming devices (Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast)
PlayStation, Xbox Gaming consoles.
Mobile devices and tablets
The VPN may be used to watch this in other countries, whereas those in the US may watch it on beIN SPORTS or through streaming platforms like Fubo.
Your AFCON 2025 Quarter Final Questions Fixed.
How did the final score between Mali and Senegal turn out?
The quarter-final match of the AFCON 2025 was won by Senegal 1-0. The only goal was scored in the 27 th minute by Iliman Ndiaye.
The reason why Mali Yves Bissouma was sent off?
Just before halftime (45+3) Mali captain Yves Bissouma was sent off as a result of being shown two yellow cards. The second yellow was due to foul on the Senegal player Idrissa Gana Gueye.
Which country will Senegal play in the semi-final?
This win took Senegal to the semi-finals whereby they will take on the quarter-final winner between Egypt and Ivory Coast.
What was the venue of the Mali vs Senegal game?
It was held on Stade Ibn Batouta (Grand Stadium) in Tangier, Morocco.
The Final Whistle
As this match was aired, I was impressed with the minute details that are characterizing knockout football. One playing error by the goalkeeper and an indiscipline by a captain finally settled this charged derby.
Even though Senegal is improving, their play particularly when they have a man advantage proved that they can be beaten. Mali is walking out with their heads held high having demonstrated a huge heart. The AFCON road to glory is not over, and going by this quarter-final this will not be the end of more memorable drama. Who are you going to support in the semi-finals?
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