Sadio Mane Secures Senegal's Afcon 2025 Spot in Injury Time

Sadio Mane scored a dramatic injury-time winner to secure Senegal’s qualification for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon). With Mane’s victory, Senegal joined Angola, DR Congo and Egypt in the finals while two rounds of qualifiers remain. The Teranga Lions seemed set for a goalless draw against Malawi until Sadio Mane now playing for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia netted the decisive goal in the 96th minute in Lilongwe.

This victory brought Senegal to 10 points in Group L alongside Burkina Faso, solidifying their place in the upcoming tournament in Morocco. They achieved this qualification despite the recent departure of long-serving coach Aliou Cisse. In a surprising turn of events, reigning champions Ivory Coast suffered a 1-0 defeat against Sierra Leone while Ghana teeters on the brink of elimination after losing to Sudan.

The Black Stars sit third in Group F with just two points from four matches, leaving their hopes of qualification out of their hands. Ghana must win their remaining fixtures against Angola and Niger while hoping Sudan, currently with seven points loses both of their matches. Egypt also qualified for the finals without captain Mohamed Salah, who the team released early from international duty.

They secured their fourth consecutive victory by defeating Mauritania 1-0, thanks to an 85th-minute goal from Ibrahim Adel. DR Congo booked its spot as well with Meschack Elia scoring twice in a 2-0 win over Tanzania. Other teams securing their places include Cameroon and Algeria, both achieving victories in their respective matches. The final two rounds of qualifiers will take place next month.

The 2025 Afcon tournament is set to begin on December 21, 2024 with the final scheduled for January 18, 2026. The qualified teams include Morocco (hosts), Algeria, Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, DR Congo, Egypt and Senegal.