January 31, (THEWILL) – Senegal defeated Equatorial Guinea 3-1 in the TotalEnergies 2021 Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals as goals from Cheikhou Kouyate and Ismaila Sarr in the final 25 minutes sealed the victory for the Lions of Teranga.
In the first half, Aliou Cisse’s side dominated, and they rightfully took the lead in the 28th minute when Famara Diedhiou calmly tapped past Jesus Owono after being sent in by the impressive Sadio Mane.
Equatorial Guinea thought they had equalised immediately after the break when Iban Salvador clipped Kalidou Koulibaly’s hand in the penalty area, but referee Victor Gomes overturned his first ruling when the VAR persuaded him to reassess the incident.
In the 57th minute, however, the Equatorial Guineans were not to be denied. Jannick Buyla controlled Pablo Ganet’s pass and blasted past Edouard Mendy before the Senegalese goalkeeper could prevent it from going in.
However, after 68 minutes, Kouyate, who was just three minutes into the match from the bench, restored Senegal’s lead, flicking home after a defensive mix-up.
It was left for fellow Senegalese substitute and Watford FC star Sarr to wrap up the win with a simple finish 11 minutes from time as his side reached the semi-finals in consecutive tournaments for the first time.
Senegal will now face Burkina Faso in the last-four match on Wednesday, after the latter defeated Tunisia 1-0 on Saturday.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
