2025 AFCON Group D Match Preview: Senegal vs Benin

Tournament favourites Senegal face Benin on Tuesday as Group D concludes at the Ibn Batouta Stadium in Tangier, with both sides well-placed to reach the knockout stages of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

Benin arrive buoyed by a landmark 1–0 victory over Botswana on Saturday, which marked the first AFCON win in the nation’s history, while the leaders sealed qualification following a hard fought 1–1 draw with DR Congo in their previous outing.

Benin’s AFCON campaign has been defined by historic achievement and renewed belief as the Cheetahs prepare for their final group encounter against Senegal.

Prior to this tournament, Benin had never won a match at the AFCON finals since making their debut in 2004, enduring a long run of defeats and draws across several editions until that sequence finally ended on December 27, when Yohan Roche scored the decisive goal in a 1–0 win over Botswana to deliver Benin their first ever AFCON victory.

That result followed a narrow 1–0 defeat to DR Congo in their opening Group D fixture, where Theo Bongonda’s early strike proved decisive, and while that loss placed Benin under early pressure, the subsequent win over Botswana revived their hopes of progression and ensured they remain firmly in contention heading into matchday three.

Head coach Gernot Rohr will take encouragement from his side’s resilience and organisation so far in Morocco, and continuity in selection and tactical discipline will be key against a Senegal team with significantly greater AFCON pedigree.

Benin’s recent form reflects a team finding its footing on the continental stage, as they have won three and lost three of their last six matches across all competitions, scoring six goals and conceding eight, including victories over Lesotho and Rwanda but also defeats to Nigeria, Burkina Faso and DR Congo.

Historically, Benin have struggled against Senegal, recording just one win in their first-ever meeting in 1961, alongside two draws and seven defeats since.

Senegal enter their final group fixture with four points from two matches, leaving them well-placed to advance to the AFCON round of 16.

The 2021 champions opened their 2025 campaign with a commanding 3–0 win over Botswana, with Nicolas Jackson delivering a standout performance by scoring twice, before following that with a 1–1 draw against DR Congo, as Sadio Mane netted the equaliser after Senegal had fallen behind early.

Those performances have highlighted Senegal’s balance of attacking quality and defensive assurance, with control and chance creation against Botswana complemented by resilience and composure under pressure against DR Congo.

With a squad packed with experience, including Mane, Edouard Mendy, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Idrissa Gueye, Senegal remain among the leading contenders to lift the trophy.

Head coach Pape Thiaw will be targeting a positive result against Benin to secure top spot in Group D and carry momentum into the knockout phase, with consistency and efficiency in front of goal key objectives.

Senegal have lost just one of their last eight matches in all competitions, recording six wins and one draw, while scoring 26 goals and conceding only five, with their only failure to score in that period coming in a 2–0 friendly defeat to Brazil at the Emirates Stadium in November.

Benin possible starting lineup:

Dandjinou; Ouorou, Verdon, Tidjani, Roche; D'Almeida, Dodo, Imourane, Tosin, Olaitan; Mounie

Senegal possible starting lineup:

Mendy; Diatta, Koulibaly, Niakhate, Jakobs; I. Gueye, P. Gueye, I. Ndiaye; I. Sarr, Mane, Jackson

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