From favourites Cameroon to Salah’s Egypt: What to expect from the semis

The Africa Cup of Nations semifinals kick off on Wednesday as Senegal take on Burkina Faso, followed by Cameroon’s clash against Mo Salah’s Egypt the next day. Hosts Cameroon are the clear favourites but they’re expected to face tough competition. FRANCE 24 gives you the lowdown.

Senegal went into this competition as the most touted team to seize the trophy. The Teranga Lions grabbed the attention of football fans across the globe at the 2002 World Cup, when they famously beat title-holders France – the formidable Bleus of Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira.  

Since then, they cemented their status as giants of African football. It didn’t look like it would be long before they won their first trophy – and the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations seemed a good bet, since Senegal boasted a formidable squad spearheaded by Liverpool’s tremendously gifted winger Sadio Mané and Chelsea goalkeeper Édouard Mendy, arguably the best shot-stopper in the contemporary game. Napoli’s defensive linchpin Kalidou Koulibaly and PSG box-to-box midfielder Idrissa Gueye provided further quality elsewhere on the pitch. 

But Senegal disappointed for much of this year’s tournament. They won their group in desultory fashion with just five points and one win, a 1-0 triumph over Zimbabwe produced by a dubious penalty in the 7th minute of injury time. 

The Teranga Lions finally roared in the quarterfinals, where they dominated against a surprisingly tricky Equatorial Guinea to bag a decisive victory. That performance showed why they remain a decent bet to win the tournament, despite that lacklustre opening. After all, in the 2018 World Cup, France were drab in the group stage but came alive in the knockouts before taking the trophy in style. Senegal could well