AFCON: Captain’s red card blights Senegal victory over Benin

Senegal won Group D at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with Tuesday’s 2-0 victory over Benin but suffered a setback ahead of the knockout stages. Despite the victory, Kalidou Koulibaly’s second half red card means that the Lions of Teranga will be without their captain for the Round of 16.

Opportunities were few and far between for both sides and it was a couple of moments of quality that provided the Lions with the victory against a scrappy Benin team.

Towards the end of the first half, Koulibaly’s center back partner Abdoulaye Seck leaped up to nod in a cross from Krepin Diatta. It appeared that the ball brushed off the arm of Seck before going in but interestingly, VAR let the goal stand.

Shortly after the hour mark, Sadio Mané lost his marker on the left wing and got to the end line to cross for Habib Diallo to double the Senegalese advantage.

While DR Congo were dominating Botswana in the other match being played simultaneously, a battle for the position of group winner ensued with the two candidates tied on points and trying to find more goals to boost their goal difference.

But when Koulibaly’s clumsy challenge on Benin forward Tosin Aiyegun led to a VAR review and red card, the Lions lost their inspirational captain. Fortunately, the DRC failed to find another goal and Senegal managed to hold on to top spot in the group when Cherif Ndiaye converted a penalty kick deep into stoppage time.

While runners-up DR Congo will have to face Algeria in the Round of 16, the Lions will have a more manageable opponent in the form of Sudan or Burkina Faso after closely escaping a clash with the North African giants without inspirational captain Koulibaly.