Senegal booked their place in the quarter-finals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations with a 3–1 win over Sudan in Tangiers on Saturday, a result that largely followed expectations given the 99-place gap between the two sides in the FIFA rankings.
Teenage substitute Ibrahim Mbaye sealed the victory just four minutes after coming on, scoring Senegal’s third goal late in the match. The 17-year-old Paris Saint-Germain forward, who previously represented France at youth level before pledging his international future to Senegal, made an immediate impact.
Sudan stunned the former champions early when Aamir Abdallah fired them ahead in the sixth minute. However, Senegal quickly regained control, with Pape Gueye scoring twice to turn the game around and give his side a 2–1 lead at the break. Mbaye’s strike in the 77th minute put the result beyond doubt.
Senegal, who made six changes from the team that beat Botswana 3–0 in their final group game, were without suspended captain Kalidou Koulibaly. Despite the reshuffle, they demonstrated their quality and experience in overcoming a Sudanese side representing a nation affected by ongoing civil conflict since April 2023.
Coached by Kwesi Appiah, Sudan retained only one starter from their previous defeat to Burkina Faso, with Abdallah once again leading the attack. His opening goal — a curling finish over Edouard Mendy — briefly gave Sudan hope in what was the first-ever AFCON meeting between the two teams.
Senegal will now face either Mali or Tunisia in the quarter-finals, with that tie set to be decided later in Casablanca.
