The chairs are fewer now, the voices louder, the stakes unmistakable. The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations has always been The Family Meeting — a sprawling African gathering where everyone arrives with history, hope and hunger.
Some cousins left early, some overstayed the conversation, but now only four remain at the table. On Wednesday night, the family leans in, because it’s time to decide who gets to take the trophy home.
First up in Tangier at 17:00 GMT, Senegal and Egypt renew acquaintances that never truly fade. This is not just a semifinal; it’s unfinished business served hot.
To appreciate the peculiarity of this contest, you’d have to take a few steps back.
Four years ago, Egypt stood on the edge of an eighth continental glory, only to watch Senegal rewrite history at their expense. It was February 6, 2022, under the blinding lights of the Olembe Stadium in Yaoundé, it all came down to a single kick.
Star man, Sadio Mané stepped forward, calm amid chaos, and buried the penalty that delivered Senegal their first-ever AFCON title.
Egypt’s dream collapsed in that instant.
The pain didn’t end there.
Barely a month later, the same script played out again — same villain, same victim. This time at the Stade Me Abdoulaye Wade, Mané once more stood between Egypt and the world’s biggest stage.
His decisive strike crushed Egypt’s hopes of reaching the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, inflicting a second heartbreak in just weeks.
Two finals. Two shootouts. One man.
For Egypt, it was double agony — inflicted by the same country, the same team, and the same star. For Senegal, it was the birth of a rivalry sealed in triumph.
And hovering over it all was a subplot that made the drama even richer: then Liverpool teammates turned continental rivals, Mané and Mohamed Salah, friendship suspended under African floodlights, national pride on the line.
This is why Egypt versus Senegal is never just another match. History breathes through every tackle, every pass, every stare. It is unfinished business. It is memory versus ambition.
And on Wednesday, the past will return — loud, emotional, and impossible to ignore.
Senegal reached here edging past 10-man Mali 1-0 in the quarterfinals. Iliman Ndiaye striking early before the Teranga Lions did what they do best — manage, muscle and mature into control. Calm, compact, ruthless when required. This Senegal side knows how to survive a long meeting.
Across the table sits Egypt, the most decorated voice in the room, chasing a record-extending eighth title and still talking with the authority of experience. Their 3-2 quarterfinal win over reigning champions Ivory Coast was classic Pharaohs drama — chaos, composure and clutch moments.
Omar Marmoush, Rami Rabia and Mohamed Salah all signed the register, with Salah, as ever, carrying the weight of expectation like family inheritance. This is also revenge on the agenda: Senegal beat Egypt on penalties in the 2021 final. Same families. Same tension. Different night.
Then, at 20:00 GMT in Rabat, the hosts take centre stage. Morocco haven’t just invited everyone over — they’ve cleaned the house, set the music and reminded Africa why home advantage matters. A 2-0 win over Cameroon in the quarterfinals, courtesy of Brahim Diaz and Ismael Saibari, sent Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium into celebration mode.
Diaz has now scored in all five of Morocco’s matches, a man turning consistency into culture. This is their first AFCON semifinal since 2004, when they finished runners-up, and the Atlas Lions are chasing a second continental crown — and a first since 1976. Almost 50 years later, the elders are watching closely.
Nigeria, though, arrive like the cousin who brings the noise and the numbers. The Super Eagles have been the tournament’s most exhilarating attacking force, swatting aside Algeria 2-0 in the quarterfinals through Victor Osimhen and Akor Adams. This is their 17th AFCON semifinal — a regular at The Family Meeting, never shy, never silent, always dangerous. They press, they punch, they play without fear, and they believe this is their time to lead the conversation.
By Wednesday night, two seats will be pulled back. The winners head to the final in Rabat on Sunday, 18 January. The others will contest third place in Casablanca the day before, still part of the story, but no longer in charge of the ending.
AFCON 2025 is down to its core. Four nations. One table. One trophy. And on SuperSport, across DStv and GOtv, The Family Meeting reaches its loudest, proudest moment.
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