Mali vs Senegal LIVE: AFCON latest score, match stream and goal updates | OneFootball

A place in the Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals is up for grabs

Mali vs Senegal LIVE

The Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals are underway, with Mali and Senegal set to go head-to-head today in pursuit of a semi-final berth. Senegal are the favourites here having won all but one of their tournament outings so far. DR Congo, knocked out in the quarter-finals by Algeria on Tuesday, were the only side to take points off the Lions of Teranga in the group stage, when Sadio Mane struck late to nick a 1-1 draw.

Senegal enjoyed a more routine round of 16 outing, breezing past Sudan with a 3-1 win in Tangier, but Mali made things rather more difficult for themselves. Facing Tunisia, they went downa man after 26 minutes and trailed after an 88th-minute opener. They then left it until the 96th minute to score their first, levelling the match at 1-1, before winning narrowly on penalties, dispatching one of the tournament favourites. They will require an upset of a similar magnitude to progress here.

A semi-final meeting with either Egypt or Ivory Coast awaits this afternoon’s victor. Follow the game LIVE below with our dedicated match blog, featuring expert insight and analysis.

Live updates

37 seconds ago

KICK-OFF! Mali 0-0 Senegal

The national anthems have been sung, and this match, the first quarter-final of AFCON 2025, is underway!

Senegal, in white, take the kick-off. Mali are in green shirts and yellow shorts.

8 minutes ago

The players are out...

Kick-off is moments away!

10 minutes ago

Not long to go now

With 10 minutes to kick-off, hee’s a reminder of today’s starting XIs.

Mali XI: Diarra, Traore, Haidara, Diaby, Bissouma, Coulibaly, Sinayoko, Sangare, Dieng, Camara, Gassama

Senegal XI: Mendy; Niakhate, Koulibaly, Malick Diouf, Diatta, Gana Gueye, Pape Gueye, Diarra, Ndiaye, Mane, Diallo

15 minutes ago

Pape Thiaw previews the tie

Senegal manager Pape Thiaw reveals he has Malian heritage!

“Tomorrow (Friday), we will need to maintain a defensive balance, but above all, be efficient in front of goal. We are a team that creates a lot of chances. Against a team that is hungry and will want to eliminate us, we will need to be clinical. We know where we want to go.

“I am half Malian and half Senegalese. My mother supports Mali, my father supports Senegal. But I am first and foremost a professional coach, and there is no room for feelings.

“If we want to go far in this competition, we have to win. It won’t be easy, but we will have to bring together all the ingredients to secure qualification.

“Mali is a brotherly country. We are rivals on the field, but it remains a football match.”

22 minutes ago

Tom Saintfiet explains how to beat Senegal

Mali boss Tom Saintfiet has explained how his Mali side are going to get one over on Senegal here.

“Senegal is one of the biggest teams on the continent. They have been at the highest level for years and are very stable, with great individual quality and strong team cohesion. In 2025, they have only lost once, against Brazil. They beat England and drew with Ireland, very good results for an African team.

“They are the favorites and we are the outsiders, and we accept that. But we have already shown against Morocco and Tunisia that we are not afraid. We also have good players. Our only undoing is not scoring as many goals as we would like, but we are very disciplined when we don’t have the ball. Our plan is ready for Senegal. We have a lot of respect for them and we will do everything possible to stay in this competition until the end.”

25 minutes ago

Stage set

This afternoon’s match will be staged at the stunning Grand Stade de Tanger.

Opened in 2011 and recently renovated, it seats 75,500 fans.

Senegal have played all of their AFCON 2025 matches here, while it’ll be a debut at this ground for Mali, who have been based out of Casablanca and Rabat thus far.

REUTERS

31 minutes ago

Derby day?

This match will prove to be something of a west African derby.

Senegal share a 489km border with Mali.

The two sides have only faced one another in an AFCON match once, and it ended in a draw.

Plenty of pride on the line today, then.

34 minutes ago

Fine form

Sadio Mane has scored or assisted a goal in each of his last three AFCON matches.

In teeing up Pape Gueye last time out, the former Liverpool star became the most prolific playmaker in the tournament’s history, with nine assists.

AFP via Getty Images

42 minutes ago

AFCON pedigree abound

Both Mali and Senegal are regulars at the business end of this tournament.

According to CAF Online, this will be an eighth quarter-final appearance for Mali, and a tenth for Senegal.

The Lions of Teranga have won at this stage of the tournament three of the last four times they have reached it.

46 minutes ago

What to make of the Mali XI

Not a massive amount to report, here.

Tottenham’s Yves Bissouma starts in midfield.

Where one Coulibaly is out suspended, another has overcome a knock to start here.

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