Djigui Diarra will replay that moment in his head for years. The cross floating in. His gloves making contact. The ball slipping through. And Iliman Ndiaye, waiting.
That's how Senegal's semi-final berth was sealed. A goalkeeper's nightmare, an Everton forward's opportunism, and 15 unbeaten AFCON matches stretching into the Moroccan night.
The derby that wasn't a war
Mali coach Tom Saintfiet had called this a "war." Pape Thiaw, Senegal's boss, shut that down fast.
"For me, it's a football match. It's not a war," Thiaw said before kick-off. "I think all of us sitting here, even if we don't have Malian relatives, or Malians don't have Senegalese relatives, they have a Malian neighbour. So, I don't think we can talk about war."
There was something deeply personal in Thiaw's words. His mother is Malian. His father is Senegalese. This wasn't geopolitics for him. This was family.
Senegal won 1-0 at the Grand Stade de Tanger. It was scrappy, tense, and ultimately decided by a mistake. But the Lions of Teranga are through to the last four for the fifth time in AFCON history, and for Thiaw—in his first tournament as head coach—that's all that matters.
Ndiaye takes his chance
The goal came in the 27th minute. Krépin Diatta whipped in a cross from the right. Diarra came to collect it and fumbled. The ball dropped at Ndiaye's feet. He didn't think twice.
"I am happy to have won this award, but the most important thing is that we have progressed to the semi-finals," Ndiaye said after collecting the Man of the Match trophy. "We played very well today and it shows that we are improving match after match."
For the Everton forward, this was only his second AFCON goal. The first came against Guinea in the group stage. But when your team needs you most, that's when you deliver.
Bissouma's red card changed everything
Mali had been competitive. Yves Bissouma, their captain, had been controlling the midfield with his usual Tottenham-honed composure. Then, in first-half stoppage time, everything collapsed.
Bissouma clattered into Idrissa Gana Gueye. It was needless. Referee Dahane Beida had already booked him in the 25th minute for a clumsy challenge. This second foul earned him a second yellow, and Mali were down to ten men.
It was the third red card Mali have received in this tournament. Only Algeria in 2010 and Ghana in 2012 have matched that unwanted record.
To their credit, Mali didn't collapse. They fought. Diarra, the man responsible for the goal, transformed into a one-man wall in the second half. He denied Sadio Mané. He denied Pathé Ciss. He denied Lamine Camara.
But one save can't undo one error. Football is cruel like that.
Thiaw wants more
Senegal created 19 shots. They registered an expected goals (xG) total of 1.55. Against ten men, for 45 minutes, they should have buried this game long before the final whistle.
Thiaw knows it.
"If we had been more clinical in front of goal, we could have scored more goals," he admitted in the post-match press conference. "But what is more important today is for us to have qualified for the semi-final. We will look into our errors and look to correct them for our future matches."
That future match will come on Saturday's winner between defending champions Ivory Coast and Mohamed Salah's Egypt. Either opponent will be unforgiving of wastefulness.
A legacy worth protecting
Senegal haven't lost a match inside 90 minutes at the AFCON since their 1-0 defeat to Algeria in the 2019 final. That's 16 games. Eleven wins. Five draws. Champions in 2021. Semi-finalists now.
The question is simple. Can they go all the way again?
Kalidou Koulibaly remains a colossus at the back. Gana Gueye still dictates tempo in midfield. Mané, even at 33, carries the weight of an entire nation's expectations without complaint.
And now, with Ndiaye stepping up at critical moments, the squad depth that Thiaw keeps talking about—"I have 28 starters," he insists—might actually be real.
For Mali, the road ends here. Saintfiet will reflect on what might have been. Ten-man heroics got them past Tunisia in the last 16. They ran out of miracles tonight.
For Senegal, the dream continues. Tangier was just a stop. The final is still the destination.