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Progression to the Round of 16 is firmly in focus as Senegal and Benin meet in their final Group D encounter of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025.
The match, scheduled for Tuesday evening at the Grand Stade de Tanger, brings together one of the tournament favourites and a Benin side buoyed by confidence, belief and momentum.
Senegal arrive with four points from two matches, having opened their campaign with a commanding 3–0 win over Botswana before being held to a draw by DR Congo.
Benin, meanwhile, revived their tournament after an opening defeat by DR Congo, securing a historic first AFCON victory in open play against Botswana to place qualification firmly within reach.
For Senegal, the equation is clear. A draw would be enough to secure passage to the knockout stage, while victory would guarantee top spot in the group.
For Benin, the stakes are even sharper: a win would see them advance automatically, while a draw could also prove sufficient depending on results elsewhere.
Senegal: favourites with focus, not complacency
Despite their status, Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw has been careful to temper expectations, repeatedly emphasising humility and execution over reputation.
“Now, it’s up to us to be sharper and more determined to secure this victory, which is so important to us,” Thiaw said on the eve of the match.
“We accept that we are among the favourites, but this is the AFCON. Matches are won on the pitch. We must respect our opponents and remain humble.”
The Lions of Teranga have built their recent AFCON success on defensive solidity and control. They are unbeaten in nine consecutive AFCON group-stage matches and have conceded just seven goals across their last 21 AFCON fixtures — a remarkable run that underlines their consistency at this level.
Senegal’s attacking edge remains personified by Sadio Mané, whose equaliser against DR Congo took his AFCON tally to 10 goals across five tournament editions. His presence, coupled with Senegal’s midfield dominance and defensive balance, places them among the most complete teams in Morocco.
Defender Moussa Niakhaté echoed his coach’s caution, highlighting Benin’s growth and discipline.
“Benin are a very good team. We’ve analysed their matches,” Niakhaté said.
“They performed very well against DR Congo and won against Botswana. If they are here, it’s not by chance. We’ll need to manage the details and stay fully focused.”
Benin: confidence, conviction and nothing to lose
Benin’s camp carries a different kind of pressure — one driven by opportunity rather than expectation. Captain Steve Mounié believes his side have earned the right to approach the fixture without fear.
“The mindset is very positive,” Mounié said. “We can finish first or second in this group, so yes, we’re going into this match to try and win it. Senegal is a great team, but football is still football.”
The striker has been central to Benin’s resurgence, providing the assist for Yohan Roche’s decisive goal against Botswana — his first goal involvement at this AFCON. Mounié has now recorded four goal contributions in his last five international matches, underlining his growing influence.
Head coach Gernot Rohr has been equally pragmatic yet ambitious. While acknowledging Senegal’s attacking power, he insists defensive organisation and collective effort will be key.
“The priority is to be well organised defensively against top-level attackers,” Rohr explained. “But we don’t want to just defend. We want to be united, combative and take our chances — especially from counter-attacks or set pieces.”
Benin’s recent defensive numbers support that belief. They have kept clean sheets in three of their last four AFCON group matches and faced just one shot on target against Botswana, their lowest total in a single AFCON match since records began.
What they said
Pape Thiaw – Senegal head coach:“We can’t take anything for granted. If we stick to our game plan and give everything, we have every chance of winning. This is a very important match.”
Moussa Niakhaté – Senegal defender:
“We respect Benin enormously. Discipline, vigilance and focus will be decisive.”
Steve Mounié – Benin captain:“
We are not here to be spectators. Anything is possible in football, and set pieces can change everything.”
Gernot Rohr – Benin head coach:
“A draw would already be a very good result, but if we can score, even better. We believe.”
Pre-match stat
Senegal are unbeaten in their last eight matches against Benin (W6 D2) and have scored in every previous meeting between the two sides. Their only AFCON encounter came in the quarter-finals of the 2019 tournament, when Senegal edged a tight contest 1–0 through Idrissa Gueye’s second-half strike.