Former African champions Senegal thrashed Benin 3-0 in their final Group D encounter, in an entertaining contest played in Tangiers on Tuesday evening, December 30th, 2025.
Despite the loss, progress to the Round of 16 as one of the best third-placed teams.
Senegal were rewarded in the 38th minute, when Abdoulaye Seckrose headed home Krépin Diatta’s well-delivered set piece, giving the former champions a deserved lead at the interval.
Senegal doubled their advantage in the 62nd minute, with star forward Sadio Mané turning provider, slipping a neat pass into the area for Habib Diallo, who made no mistake with a composed left-footed finish from close range.
The match took a dramatic turn in the 71st minute when captain Kalidou Koulibaly was shown a red card following a VAR review, forcing Senegal to see out the contest with ten men for the final quarter of an hour.
Benin pushed forward in search of a response and forced Mendy into a series of saves, but their hopes were extinguished deep into stoppage time.
In the 97th minute, substitute Cherif Ndiaye calmly converted from the penalty spot after Ibrahim Mbaye was brought down in the area, sealing a comprehensive scoreline.
The result sees Senegal finish top of Group D, while Benin, despite the defeat, progress to the Round of 16 as one of the best third-placed teams.
Group D concludes with Senegal at the top, followed by DR Congo who cruised past Botswana in a simultaneous match along with Benin as one of the best third place finishers.
