Following Senegal’s hard-fought 1-0 victory over Mali in the AFCON 2025 quarter-finals, captain Kalidou Koulibaly made it clear that the Lions of Teranga are prioritising results over ‘fancy football’ as they hunt for their second continental title.
Iliman Ndiaye scored the lone goal in the 27th minute, capitalising on a goalkeeping error on Friday. The turning point was when Mali and captain and Tottenham Hotspur star Yves Bissouma was sent off just before the break, but a resilient Mali side made the 10-man struggle difficult for Senegal to manage.
The Al Hilal Saudi veteran defender has emphasised that at this elite level, the only ‘beautiful’ football is the kind that leads to the final.
After being knocked out in the Round of 16 last AFCON, the 34-year-old defender was unapologetic about the team’s pragmatic approach. He believes the time for ‘fancy’ play has passed. The Lions of Teranga are searching for a second African crown.
Interestingly, the former Chelsea defender was part of the team that lifted the trophy under Aliou Cisse in 2021.
‘TRY TO WIN A MATCH TO PASS’ – KHALIDOU KOULIBALY
“We know we’re at a stage where you shouldn’t calculate anymore; you shouldn’t try to play beautiful football. You only have to try to win the match to pass… whether it’s a good performance or an average one, we’re going to do everything to play well, win, and please our people,” Koulibaly said.
Addressing the social media buzz surrounding the rivalry with their neighbours, the captain praised his team’s mental discipline.
“Against our neighbours, Mali, there’s been a lot of talk on social media, but I’m happy with my group because we ignored it. We just wanted to win the match to reach the semi-finals. We did it.”
While the win secured a spot in the final four, Koulibaly insisted that the job is far from finished.
“We didn’t celebrate today [Friday], we didn’t celebrate before, we don’t celebrate. Our duty is not yet accomplished. It’s not out of arrogance or a lack of respect; it’s just because we want to stay concentrated until the end.”
Senegal now awaits the winner of the heavyweight semi-final clash between Egypt and the Ivory Coast on Saturday.
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