Pape Gueye struck twice as Senegal came from behind to defeat Sudan 3–1 on Saturday night in Tangier, securing a place in the quarter-finals of the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025.
The former champions were briefly stunned by an early Sudanese opener, but responded with composure and quality, with Gueye’s first-half brace turning the contest on its head before substitute Ibrahima Mbaye sealed the win late on.
The victory also marked a historic night for Senegal captain Sadio Mané, who provided two assists to move clear at the top of the AFCON all-time assists chart with nine, surpassing Côte d’Ivoire legend Yaya Touré.
Sudan made a dream start, taking the lead just six minutes in. Aamir Abdellah capped off a rapid counter-attack with a sublime curling effort from his left foot, leaving goalkeeper Edouard Mendy with no chance.
Senegal remained calm and gradually asserted control. Their pressure paid off in the 29th minute when Gueye restored parity. Mané won possession in midfield and released Gueye, who kept his composure to slot a low finish past the Sudan goalkeeper.
The equaliser sparked Senegal into life. Gueye soon tested the keeper from distance, while Nicolas Jackson was denied at close range following a dangerous delivery from the left flank.
The Lions of Teranga completed the turnaround deep into first-half stoppage time. Jackson again played a key role, cutting the ball back for Gueye, who curled a superb finish into the corner to give Senegal a 2–1 lead at the break.
Sudan attempted to respond after the interval and came close just two minutes into the second half, but Mendy produced a fine reflex save to deny Sheddy Barglan from point-blank range.
That proved to be Sudan’s final significant opportunity. Senegal tightened their grip on the game and put the result beyond doubt in the 77th minute when substitute Mbaye fired home from inside the area after another incisive assist from Mané.
With the outcome settled, Senegal comfortably saw out the match, underlining their status as strong contenders for the AFCON title once again.
Speaking after the match, Gueye, who was named TotalEnergies Man of the Match, praised the team’s resilience.
“I am happy to have won the award and obviously it was the collective team effort that led to the award,” Gueye said. “This is for the entire team. We reacted very well after going down 1–0. It was tough, but with determination we managed to win the game. Now we are through to the quarter-finals and we must prepare with the same focus.”
Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw commended his players for their response. “We played against a very disciplined Sudan team and they showed they reached this stage by merit,” Thiaw said. “We needed to dig deep to come from a goal down. I give credit to my players for their focus and recovery. We will now correct some mistakes and pursue our goals with intensity.”
Despite the defeat, Sudan coach Kwesi Appiah expressed pride in his squad. “Of course I am disappointed with the result, but I am proud of the effort of my players throughout this competition,” Appiah said. “We played against a very experienced Senegal team and showed our quality. I am sure the Sudanese people know that we represented them with pride.”
Senegal will now turn their attention to the quarter-finals as their quest for another continental crown gathers momentum.
