AFCON 2025: Thiaw wants Senegal to be clinical against Mali

Senegal coach Pape Thiaw has called on his players to be clinical in front of the goal against Mali during their quarter-final of the Africa Cup of Nations on Friday.

Senegal have played all four of their matches at the tournament in Tangier. Mali have played three games in Casablanca, including two group games and their Round of 16 clash, and one group match in Rabat.

This is only the second meeting between Mali and Senegal at the AFCON finals. Their only previous encounter came at the 2004 edition during the Group Stage, when they met in their final Group B match.

The game ended 1-1, with Mali taking the lead through Dramane Traoré in the 34th minute before Senegal equalised through Habib Beye in first-half stoppage time.

“Tomorrow (Friday), we will need to maintain a defensive balance, but above all, be efficient in front of goal. We are a team that creates a lot of chances. Against a team that is hungry and will want to eliminate us, we will need to be clinical. We know where we want to go,” he told the media on Thursday.

Thiaw further described the match against Mali as a “sub-regional derby”, highlighting the difficulty of a duel marked by many common points between the two countries.

“I am half Malian and half Senegalese. My mother supports Mali, my father supports Senegal. But I am first and foremost a professional coach, and there is no room for feelings,” he said.

“If we want to go far in this competition, we have to win. It won’t be easy, but we will have to bring together all the ingredients to secure qualification,” he insisted, adding that the preparation was done “with a lot of respect and determination.”

“Mali is a brotherly country. We are rivals on the field, but it remains a football match.”