Senegal prepare to take on their biggest opponent in the Africa Cup of Nations: themselves - The Warm-Up

THURSDAY'S BIG STORIES Here Come The Underachievers Ad/> In 2002, Senegal reached the final of the Africa Cup of Nations. And lost. In 2019, Senegal reached the final of the Africa Cup of Nations.

And lost. So, third time lucky, lads? TransfersArsenal to spend £180m on Isak, Neves and Calvert-Lewin — Paper Round3 HOURS AGO Last night's semi-final against Burkina Faso took a familiar shape. Senegal rocked up, locked up, waited for the opposition to let something slip, and then took care of things.

In the group stage this approach led to just the one goal, a penalty; since then, they've scored eight in three knockout games. And while Burkina Faso were saved from a hammering by VAR, which reversed two penalties in the first half, they were well beaten in the end. It's always difficult, trying to work out what's going on inside the collective head of a group of football players and coaches.

More so when you're doing it from several thousand miles away through a television screen. But as well as a victory, last night provided something else: an opportunity to collapse. And it was not taken.

Having gone one-up in the 70th minute and then doubled their lead in the 76th, Senegal were cruising… until Burkina Faso scored a goal equal parts beautiful and bizarre, a sweeping team move finished off by Blati Touré's knee. But not in a weird, deflected way. This looked like it was guided home.

With the knee. Which is impossible, for knees are stupid hinges with no touch about them. To be 2-0 up is to be home and dry; to suddenly find that lead halved, with ten minutes left, is rainclouds gathering and a long way to go.