Sadio Mane (right) netted his 10th goal at Afcon on his 24th appearance at the finals

Mane Secures Draw as Senegal Battle DR Congo in AFCON Thriller

Mane Secures Senegal a Point Against DR Congo in 1-1 AFCON Clash

Sadio Mane rescued a point for Senegal in their Group D showdown with DR Congo at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, as both sides edged closer to the knockout stage after a tense 1-1 draw in Tangier.

Bakambu Opens the Scoring

The Leopards took the lead just after the hour mark when Cedric Bakambu reacted fastest to slot home from close range after Edouard Mendy failed to deal with Theo Bongonda’s low shot.

It was Bakambu’s second goal of the tournament and came after DR Congo had grown into the match following a first half dominated by Senegal.

Mane Delivers Again

Senegal responded just eight minutes later. Substitute Ibrahim Mbaye cut through the Congolese defense and forced a save from Lionel Mpasi, but Mane was on hand to calmly finish from the rebound—his second goal at this year’s tournament.

The Al-Nassr forward showed poise as he slipped the ball past a desperate Aaron Wan-Bissaka on the goal line, salvaging a draw for the 2021 champions.

Group D Standings: All to Play For

Senegal: 4 points (+3 GD)
DR Congo: 4 points (+1 GD)
Benin: 3 points
Botswana: 0 points (eliminated after 1-0 loss to Benin)

The final group games will be decisive:

Senegal vs Benin (Tangier)
DR Congo vs Botswana (Rabat)

A draw will likely be enough for both Senegal and DR Congo to qualify, but the group winner will enjoy the advantage of facing a third-placed side in the next round.

Match Analysis: Two Halves, Two Teams

The first half was all Senegal. Nicolas Jackson came close, and Pape Gueye forced Mpasi into a scramble. DR Congo struggled to string chances together and were fortunate to go into the break level.

In the second half, Noah Sadiki injected energy into DR Congo’s attack before Bakambu’s breakthrough. However, their lead was short-lived due to Mbaye’s direct running and Mane’s lethal finishing instincts.

After the equalizer, both teams appeared content to settle for a point, with few chances in the final 20 minutes.