African Cup of Nations: Morocco and Senegal Advance to Semi-Finals

Morocco and Senegal Secure Their Spots

Hosts Morocco and 2021 champions Senegal have successfully advanced to the semi-finals of the African Cup of Nations by defeating their respective opponents, Cameroon and Mali. As reported by BuLi News, both teams will discover their next adversaries after the matches scheduled for tomorrow.

Senegal’s Close Win Over Mali

Senegal narrowly overcame Mali, with Iliman Ndiaye, an Everton winger, netting his first tournament goal just before half-time. Mali faced a setback as Yves Bissouma received a second yellow card shortly before the break, leaving his team with only ten players.

Notably, Nicolas Jackson was surprisingly left on the bench. Amadou Haidara, formerly of RB Leipzig, made his return to Mali’s lineup following a one-match suspension. This marked the third consecutive game where Tom Saintfiet’s squad had to play with reduced numbers. The Lions of Teranga are set to meet either Egypt or the reigning champions Côte d’Ivoire in the next round.

Morocco’s Victory Against Cameroon

Cameroon has a track record of producing shocking results against host nations at AFCON, but Walid Regragui’s Morocco successfully kept Christian Kofane and his teammates from making any impactful shots. Brahim Diaz scored for the fifth consecutive contest, followed by Ismael Saibari, who extended the lead after halftime.

Morocco has impressively maintained a clean slate, having yet to concede a goal from open play. Bilal El Khannouss from Stuttgart participated for 68 minutes, while Leverkusen’s Eliesse Ben Saghir was not called upon. In the other semi-final, Morocco will face either Algeria or Nigeria.

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