The national teams of Senegal and Mali have become the first quarter-finalists of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2025). The teams will face each other in the quarter-finals, according to a press release from the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
In the AFCON round of 16 match, the Senegal national team defeated Sudan with a score of 3:1. Goals for Senegal were scored by Pape Guèye, who netted a brace, and Ibrahima Mbaye.
The Mali national team secured victory over Tunisia in their round of 16 match via a penalty shootout (3:2), after regulation and extra time ended 1:1 following goals from Firas Chaouat (Tunisia) in the 88th minute and Lassina Sinayoko (Mali) from a penalty in added time. Mali played the majority of the match with ten men after Vieux Koulibaly received a red card in the 27th minute.
Earlier in January, the government of Gabon announced the suspension of the national football team's activities following the team's poor performance at AFCON 2025 in Morocco.
The Africa Cup of Nations is the premier competition for national teams under the auspices of CAF. The first tournament was held in 1957, and since 1968, it has been held regularly every two years. From 2028, the tournament is planned to be held every four years in accordance with the global football cycle. National teams from across the African continent participate in the competition. The 35th edition of AFCON is being held in Morocco from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.
