Age-Defying Hero: El-Shenawy Joins AFCON Semifinal History at 37
14 January 2026
Historic milestone for Egypt's veteran keeper
Egypt and Senegal met in the Africa Cup of Nations semifinal on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, with Mohamed El-Shenawy earning a historic place among the tournament's oldest players to appear in the semifinals, a moment many fans will replay on their screens.
Paths to the semis
The Pharaohs' goalkeeper, aged 37 years and 27 days, becomes the fifth oldest to feature in AFCON semifinals, behind Essam El-Hadary (44y 17d); a milestone that draws nostalgic smiles from long-time fans.
Following him on the list are Congo's Robert Kidiaba (39y 3d), then Tunisian Ali Boumnijel (37y 304d) and Cameroon's Joseph-Antoine Bell (37y 107d).
Senegal advanced to the semi by topping their group, then beating Sudan 3-1 in the Round of 16 and Mali 1-0 in the quarterfinals.
Egypt seized the other semifinal path, topping their group and then defeating Benin 3-1 in the Round of 16, before a dramatic 3-2 win over Ivory Coast in the quarterfinals.
Punchline 1: If age were a goalkeeper, Shenawy would be the champion of time.
Punchline 2: The only thing older than him is the legend he embodies— and maybe the coffee he drinks at the break.
