AFCON 2025: Five Key Takeaways from Senegal's strong 3-0 victory over Benin. Senegal bounced back from last weekend’s draw with DR Congo to secure a commanding 3–0 victory over Benin, finishing top of Group D. Cherif Ndiaye’s stoppage-time penalty capped off a dominant performance, while Edouard Mendy’s crucial saves kept the Cheetahs at bay. Here are five key takeaways from the game.
After their disappointing draw with DR Congo last weekend, the lions of Teranga came in with full force to win three goals over Benin. The match highlighted Senegal's impressive performance. Benin was left goalless and Cherif Ndiaye scored a penalty at 97 minutes securing a top of the table in their group.
Whilst many may look at Senegal’s players for securing a top spot in group D, their goalkeeper Edouard Mendy made exceptional saves. The result was partly due to his efforts.
His saves denied Benin’s Junior Olaitan's free-kick and Rodolfo Aloko’s attempt. Soon after came the third goal by Ndiaye. Such pivotal saves have allowed the lions of Teranga to focus on attacks and exploit moments like this, showcasing why Senegal's victory was significant.
Despite their defeat, Benin shall continue to the knockout stages of AFCON 2025. Having secured enough points, and coming at third place in Group D, the Cheetahs were not fast enough to beat previous AFCON champions Senegal. The match clearly indicated Benin’s overall performance, highlighting their organisation but truly lacking in attacking power hence the goalless defeat.
However, Benin’s captain Steve Mounié attempted a right footed shot at halftime but Senegal’s goalkeeper saved his nation. Essentially, the attempts and organisation were provided by Benin, but that just was not enough, as they did not capitalise on moments like this. Hence, achieving a third place position.
The centre-back’s defensive skills shined through against Benin. Making Sengal’s opening goal at the 38th minute with a header demonstrates his awareness and intelligence on timing and execution. This was simply a demonstration of Senegal 3-0 Benin AFCON 2025 defensive skills that helped keep a clean sheet in today’s match. His role contributed to Senegal’s defence stats with14 total tackles and 20 total clearances won. Senegal look to repeat the excellent defence put on display for Sudan or Burkina Faso this Saturday.
At 71 minutes, Senegal’s captain Kalidou Koulibaly was awarded a red card leaving the team to ten players. Despite being a player down, the lions of Teranga managed the pressure and organised their defensive powers effortlessly. Keeping a clean sheet until stoppage time, Idrissa Gueye in particular took up a more defensive role. The Everton midfielder was key in breaking Benin’s counterattacks. All in all, Senegal continued to not give up despite the disadvantage.
From their opening match of AFCON 2025, Senegal have demonstrated why they are called the lions of Teranga. The Senegal 3-0 Benin AFCON 2025 match was a testament to their strength. With no defeats, and mainly having clean sheets, the nation has proved why they are considered favourites to win this year’s AFCON campaign. With players like Mané, Ndiaye, and Seck just to name a few providing strength to Senegal’s squad, the Senegal 3-0 Benin AFCON 2025 result contributes to the defensive organisation and attacking powers that are required to perform exceptionally in a highly regarded tournament.
