Senegal overcame Equatorial Guinea to set up an Africa Cup of Nations semi-final against Burkina Faso.
Ex-Bristol City forward Famara Diedhiou put Senegal ahead with a first-time strike following Sadio Mane’s pass.
Equatorial Guinea were awarded a penalty before the decision was overturned, but then equalised soon after through Jannick Buyla’s low shot.
But substitute Cheikhou Kouyate volleyed Senegal ahead, with Watford’s Ismaila Sarr side-footing a late third.
Senegal, who never have won the tournament, face Burkina Faso on Wednesday, before Egypt play Cameroon in the second semi-final on Thursday, with the final taking place on Sunday, 6 February.
Equatorial Guinea, 114th in Fifa’s world rankings, had been hoping to cause an upset against a Senegal side ranked 20th – the highest-placed African nation.
Mane helps Senegal secure victory
Senegal started well as Idrissa Gueye fired a free-kick wide and Diedhiou had a shot saved by Jesus Owono before their 28th-minute opener.
Liverpool forward Mane, taken to hospital with concussion after suffering a clash of heads in the last-16 match against Cape Verde, played an excellent pass and Diedhiou finished well.
But Equatorial Guinea, semi-finalists in 2015, fought back early in the second half.
They thought they had a penalty when referee Victor Gomes pointed to the spot after the ball hit Kalidou Koulibaly’s hand at close range. But, following a VAR intervention, Gomes watched the incident on a pitchside monitor and judged Koulibaly could not have moved away in time as it was so close.
Equatorial Guinea bounced back from that disappointment and equalised in the 57th minute as Pablo Ganet linked up with Buyla, who fired an angled strike past Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
But Senegal were gifted a 68th-minute second when Crystal Palace midfielder Kouyate, brought on just three minutes earlier, volleyed into the net after two Equatorial Guinea defenders collided into each other while trying to head clear.
Another substitute Sarr, playing his first game since November after injury, sealed Senegal’s victory after good work from team-mate Saliou Ciss.
Player of the match
ManéSadio Mané
Equatorial Guinea
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Squad number16Player nameSaúl Coco
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Squad number22Player nameGanet
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Squad number14Player nameJannick Buyla
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Squad number10Player nameNsue
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Squad number21Player nameEsteban Obiang
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Squad number11Player nameBasilio Ndong
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Squad number6Player nameIban Salvador
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Squad number27Player namePedro Oba
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Squad number8Player nameMachín
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Squad number24Player nameÁlex Balboa
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Squad number15Player nameCarlos Akapo
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Squad number17Player nameJosete Miranda
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Squad number7Player nameBelima
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Squad number4Player nameFréderico Bikoro
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Squad number20Player nameSantiago Eneme
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Squad number1Player nameJesús Owono
Line-ups
Senegal
Formation 4-3-3
- 16Mendy
- 20Sarr
- 3Koulibaly
- 22Diallo
- 2CissBooked at 9mins
- 5Gueye
- 6Mendy
- 26GueyeBooked at 18minsSubstituted forKouyatéat 65′minutes
- 9DiaSubstituted forSarrat 58′minutes
- 19DiédhiouSubstituted forDiengat 65′minutes
- 10Mané
Substitutes
- 1Dieng
- 4Cissé
- 7Keita
- 8Kouyaté
- 11Diallo
- 15Dieng
- 17Sarr
- 18Sarr
- 21Mbaye
- 23Gomis
- 24Name
- 25Loum
Equatorial Guinea
Formation 4-4-1-1
- 1Owono Ngua Akeng
- 15Akapo Martínez
- 21Orozco Fernández Obiang Obono
- 16Coco-Bassey Oubiña
- 11Owono Nchama
- 6Salvador EdúSubstituted forBelimaat 80′minutes
- 22GanetSubstituted forBikoro Akieme Nchamaat 72′minutes
- 8MachínBooked at 36minsSubstituted forBalboa Bandeiraat 85′minutes
- 14Buyla Sam
- 17Miranda BoachoSubstituted forEneme Bocariat 80′minutes
- 10NsueSubstituted forMbengono Asuat 81′minutes
Substitutes
- 2Mayé
- 3Anieboh
- 4Bikoro Akieme Nchama
- 5Anvene Ebang Elá
- 7Belima
- 12Magno Mba Bicoro
- 18Hanza Meha
- 19Nlavo Asué
- 20Eneme Bocari
- 23Meseguer
- 24Balboa Bandeira
- 27Mbengono Asu
Live Text
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Match ends, Senegal 3, Equatorial Guinea 1.
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Second Half ends, Senegal 3, Equatorial Guinea 1.
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Attempt missed. Jannick Buyla (Equatorial Guinea) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Basilio Ndong.
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Attempt missed. Rubén Belima (Equatorial Guinea) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Santiago Eneme.
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Fréderico Bikoro (Equatorial Guinea) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Bamba Dieng (Senegal).
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Attempt missed. Ismaïla Sarr (Senegal) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Abdou Diallo.
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Attempt saved. Pedro Oba (Equatorial Guinea) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
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Attempt blocked. Santiago Eneme (Equatorial Guinea) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Rubén Belima with a cross.
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Substitution, Equatorial Guinea. Álex Balboa replaces José Machín.
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Basilio Ndong (Equatorial Guinea) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Foul by Bouna Sarr (Senegal).
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Rubén Belima (Equatorial Guinea) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Foul by Idrissa Gueye (Senegal).
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Foul by Basilio Ndong (Equatorial Guinea).
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Bouna Sarr (Senegal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Substitution, Equatorial Guinea. Pedro Oba replaces Emilio Nsue.
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Substitution, Equatorial Guinea. Rubén Belima replaces Iban Salvador.
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Substitution, Equatorial Guinea. Santiago Eneme replaces Josete Miranda.
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Goal! Senegal 3, Equatorial Guinea 1. Ismaïla Sarr (Senegal) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Saliou Ciss.