|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Senegal overcame Equatorial Guinea to set up an Africa Cup of Nations semi-final against Burkina Faso.
Ex-Bristol City forward Famara Diedhiou put Senegal ahead with a first-time strike following Sadio Mane’s pass.
Equatorial Guinea were awarded a penalty before the decision was overturned, but then equalised soon after through Jannick Buyla’s low shot.
But substitute Cheikhou Kouyate volleyed Senegal ahead, with Watford’s Ismaila Sarr side-footing a late third.
Senegal, who never have won the tournament, face Burkina Faso on Wednesday, before Egypt play Cameroon in the second semi-final on Thursday, with the final taking place on Sunday, 6 February.
Equatorial Guinea, 114th in Fifa’s world rankings, had been hoping to cause an upset against a Senegal side ranked 20th – the highest-placed African nation.
Mane helps Senegal secure victory
Senegal started well as Idrissa Gueye fired a free-kick wide and Diedhiou had a shot saved by Jesus Owono before their 28th-minute opener.
Liverpool forward Mane, taken to hospital with concussion after suffering a clash of heads in the last-16 match against Cape Verde, played an excellent pass and Diedhiou finished well.
But Equatorial Guinea, semi-finalists in 2015, fought back early in the second half.
They thought they had a penalty when referee Victor Gomes pointed to the spot after the ball hit Kalidou Koulibaly’s hand at close range. But, following a VAR intervention, Gomes watched the incident on a pitchside monitor and judged Koulibaly could not have moved away in time as it was so close.
