Senegal — Egypt Prediction, H2H and Probable Lineups — January 14, 2026
On January 14, 2026, in the Semi-final of the Africa Cup of Nations, Senegal will face Egypt. The match is scheduled to kick off at 18:00 Central European Time. Let’s take a closer look at the potential outcome of this clash.
Senegal
The Senegal national team enters this match in excellent form. The team performed strongly in the group stage, securing 3-0 wins over Benin and Botswana and drawing 1-1 with DR Congo, finishing top of the group. In the knockout stage, Senegal defeated Sudan 3-1 and then Mali 1-0, showing solid consistency and control.
Overall, Senegal is in fantastic shape: in their last 9 official matches across all competitions, they have 8 wins and 1 draw, keeping 6 clean sheets. The team also impressed during World Cup qualification, topping their group with 24 points from 10 matches, scoring 22 goals and conceding only 3. Senegal last won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2021, and in the previous edition, they were eliminated in the round of 16.
In head-to-head clashes against Egypt, Senegal has the edge. In the last five encounters between the two teams, Egypt has only managed one win, suffered three losses, and recorded one draw. Matches between these two sides are usually low-scoring: in the last 5 encounters, all finished with under 2.5 goals.
Egypt
The Egyptian national team delivered a strong performance in the quarter-finals against the reigning champions, Côte d’Ivoire. Egypt took an early lead and managed to control much of the match, although Côte d’Ivoire applied strong pressure throughout. In the end, Egypt secured a hard-fought 3-2 victory, keeping their hopes alive of winning the tournament for the first time since 2010—their last titles came in 2006, 2008, and 2010.
The Egypt national team has been performing very solidly in this tournament. In the group stage, the team finished in first place, recording two wins and one draw. Egypt started with a 2–1 victory over Zimbabwe, followed by a narrow 1–0 win against South Africa. In the final group match, the team played out a 0–0 draw with Angola, which allowed them to secure the top spot in the standings.
In the Round of 16, Egypt faced a very tough challenge against Benin. The match ended 1–1 in regular time, and only in extra time were Egypt able to outplay their opponent and secure a place in the quarterfinals.
Overall, Egypt’s form looks stable and convincing. The team also progressed confidently through World Cup qualification, finishing first in their group with 26 points from 10 matches, scoring 20 goals and conceding only two. Ahead of this match, Egypt have no injury concerns and will approach the game at full strength.
Probable Lineups
- Senegal: Mendy, Diouf, Koulibaly, Niakhate, Diatta, I.Gueye, P.Gueye, Diarra, Diallo, Mane, Ndiaye
- Egypt: El Shenawy, Hany, Ibrahim, Rabia, Fatouh, Attia, Fathy, Abdelmaguid, Ashour, Salah, Marmoush
Key Facts and Head-to-Head
- Senegal have won 5 of their last 6 matches.
- Egypt have won 4 of their last 6 matches.
- 3 of Egypt’s last 4 matches have seen under 2.5 goals.
- Senegal have won or drawn 4 of last 5 head-to-head meetings.
- The last 5 head-to-head meetings have seen under 2.5 goals.
Senegal — Egypt Prediction
We can expect a very interesting and tightly contested semi-final. Both teams have performed confidently in this tournament so far and look very strong in all competitions they participate in. They boast some of the best defensive records in the tournament which was clearly visible in the group stage. In terms of head-to-head matchups, Senegal holds a slight advantage, having won 3 of the last 5 encounters, but these matches are usually very tight, with most of them ending with just one goal scored. Considering the importance of the match, the current form of both teams, and the high stakes of any mistakes, this game is likely to be highly competitive and defensive on both sides. We therefore do not expect many goals in this semi-final. My bet for this match: Total Under 2.5 goals at odds of 1.58.
