Senegal sent a strong warning to their competitors after smashing Botswana into pieces with a delightful performance. As one of the much-fancied te
Senegal sent a strong warning to their competitors after smashing Botswana into pieces with a delightful performance.
As one of the much-fancied teams to lift the trophy, the Teranga Lions got off to a great start by pushing Botswana back into their own half. With the attacking quartet of Nicholas Jackson, Sadio Mane, Iliman Ndiaye and Ismaila Sarr, Senegal was going to pose much threat to the minnows, and they duly did so.
After goalkeeper Phoko had kept Botswana in the game on so many occasions, Senegal finally broke the deadlock in the 40th minute with Jakobs picking out Jackson in the box. The Bayern Munich striker calmly slotted the ball home to give Pape Thiaw’s side a deserved 1-0 lead.
Jackson’s second goal in the 58th minute was so beautiful as he sent the ball into the bottom right corner.
Cherif Ndiaye was teed up by Cheikh Sabaly in the 90th minute inside Botswana’s box. The substitute defied composure and found the bottom right corner to round up an amazing afternoon for Senegal.
D.R. Congo won 1-0 against Benin with Theo Bongonda’s 16th-minute strike separating the two sides.
Nigeria defeated a spirited and determined Tanzania 2-1 to open their campaign in a grand style. Alex Iwobi’s pinpoint-accurate cross was headed in powerfully by Ajayi in the 36th minute to give the Super Eagles a lead.
Charles M’Mombwa’s first time shot inside the box beat Nwabali to level the score in the 52nd minute.
Ademola Lookman unleashed a wonderful effort with his left foot from outside the box to restore Nigeria’s lead just two minutes after the equaliser.
Tunisia continued their fine form with a 3-1 win over Uganda. FC Copenhagen’s forward Elias Achouri scored a brace, with Shkiri scoring the other goal. Omedi’s goal was a mere consolation for the Ugandans.
DAY 4 fixtures and Preview
Burkina Faso v Equatorial Guinea (12:30 pm)
Burkina Faso will square off against Equatorial Guinea at the Stade Mohamed V in Casablanca in the early kick-off. Burkina Faso has won five of their last six games in all competitions and will be in high spirits facing Equatorial Guinea. Equatorial Guinea had a splendid AFCON in 2023 and hopes to repeat that performance in Morocco.
Algeria v Sudan (3 pm)
Algeria, who have been eliminated in the group stages of the last two AFCONs, will hope to progress to the knockout stage. The 2019 winners under Djamel Belmadi, after the 2019 triumph, became full of disappointment after failing to deliver on the big stage. Vladimir Petkovic has qualified Algeria for the World Cup. The Bosnian manager will hope to bring Algeria back to the big table and must start against the lowly Sudan. James Kwesi Appiah’s Sudan has punched 6above their weight in the last two years. They qualified at the expense of Ghana against all odds. The Ghanaian head coach of the Sudanese side can trouble anyone on any day, but they face a real test against a high-spec side.
Ivory Coast v Mozambique (5:30 pm)
Defending champions Ivory Coast will commence their title defence against Mozambique. The Ivorians will have a huge task at hand because no country since Egypt in 2010 has been able to defend the title. Head coach Fae, who did magic by winning the trophy, is very confident his side has the firepower to defend their crown. Mozambique remains a minnow after failing to record a single win at any of the AFCONs they have participated in. Mandava Reinildo of Sunderland and Geny Catamo of Sporting Lisbon are the two stars the team will draw inspiration from.
Cameroon v Gabon (8 pm)
David Pagou will start his reign as the head coach of Cameroon when the Indomitable Lions face the Panthers of Gabon. Cameroon and Gabon were eliminated in the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup play-off to D.R. Congo and Nigeria, respectively. The troubled Cameroon must shake off the recent off-field brouhaha and target a long stay in Morocco. Gabon, on the other hand, will face the five-time winners without the evergreen Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The prolific Marseille striker was confirmed to miss the opening game of the tournament. In his absence, 31-year-old Denis Bouanga of Los Angeles FC will fill his shoes. Gabon’s defence, led by Ecuele Manga and Aaron Appindangoye remain a suspect due to their ages. They run out of steam soon after 70 minutes, and Cameroon, with Mbeumo, Etta-Eyong and Magri upfront, can take advantage of it.
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