These Senegal vs Morocco lineups are from the Africa Cup of Nations final played on January 18, 2026, at Stade Prince Moulay Abdallah in Rabat. Both starting teams are recorded as 4-3-3. This is an archive of that match, not a predicted team sheet for their next meeting.
The tournament was called AFCON 2025 even though the final took place in 2026. CAF’s tournament guide gives its dates as December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.
Senegal’s starting XI
The following starters and formation are listed in FotMob’s match record:
| Position group | Senegal starters |
|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Édouard Mendy |
| Defence | Antoine Mendy, Mamadou Sarr, Moussa Niakhaté, Malick Diouf |
| Midfield | Lamine Camara, Idrissa Gana Gueye, Pape Gueye |
| Attack | Iliman Ndiaye, Nicolas Jackson, Sadio Mané |
Coach: Pape Thiaw. Antoine Mendy is the starter recorded at right-back in the completed match data. Keep the two Mendys distinct when reading a shortened graphic: Édouard is the goalkeeper.
Morocco’s starting XI
| Position group | Morocco starters |
|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Yassine Bounou |
| Defence | Achraf Hakimi, Nayef Aguerd, Adam Masina, Noussair Mazraoui |
| Midfield | Bilal El Khannouss, Neil El Aynaoui, Ismael Saibari |
| Attack | Brahim Díaz, Ayoub El Kaabi, Abdessamad Ezzalzouli |
Coach: Walid Regragui. These are the eleven starters, rather than a list mixing the starting team with players who entered later.
Changes that help identify the team on the pitch
A screenshot taken late in the game will not necessarily match either table. For example, FotMob records Abdoulaye Seck replacing Antoine Mendy in the 77th minute. Morocco introduced Youssef En-Nesyri for Ayoub El Kaabi and Oussama Targhalline for Bilal El Khannouss in the 80th minute.
Use the event timeline when identifying a player in a particular clip. A substitute appearing in the final does not make him a starter, and an unused player on a squad list should not be counted among the eleven.
Why some results pages show a different score
The on-field match ended 1-0 to Senegal after extra time. The later administrative decision needs to be kept separate from that sequence of play: on March 17, 2026, CAF’s Appeal Board recorded a 3-0 forfeit in Morocco’s favor.
CAS then announced on March 25 that it had registered Senegal’s appeal. Those are dated procedural events, not a claim here that a subsequent CAS award has settled the dispute. Consult CAS’s official releases for later legal developments. None of those later decisions changes which players started the January match.
How much can you infer from the two 4-3-3s?
I would use the formation as a guide to the names, then check the footage before drawing conclusions about how either side played. Four defenders and three midfielders on a graphic cannot establish the height of a press or tell you who covered a full-back’s forward run.
If you are watching a replay, compare a few possessions from each team. Look at where the full-backs receive the ball and where the nearest midfielder moves when possession is lost. Write down the moment you are describing, especially if a substitution has already happened. That produces a more useful observation than assigning a permanent “physical” or “possession” style to an entire national team.
There is also no reliable rule that winning two selected positional duels means a team controls a match. Such a claim needs a defined measure and evidence. For this archive, the confirmed names and dated match record are the information to carry forward.
Finding the lineup for another Senegal vs Morocco match
Check the date, competition and team level before reusing a lineup. A senior men’s final is not interchangeable with a friendly, a women’s fixture or an age-group tournament involving the same countries.
For a forthcoming meeting, look for the match-specific team announcement from the organizer or federations, then compare it with the live match record for any late change. A projected XI remains a prediction. The January 2026 lineup above should not be presented as a newly announced selection.
Our Football section contains other football articles. The illustration accompanying this one is a generic tactics board, not an official lineup graphic or a photograph from the final.