April 30, (THEWILL) – Senegal kicked off their campaign in the TotalEnergies Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Algeria 2023 with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Congo, thanks to defender Serigne Fallou Diouf’s late goal.
This is the first time in three attempts that Senegal have won their opening game in the tournament, moving them second in Group A with three points, the same as leaders Algeria.
Although Fallou Diouf was the hero with his late volley, goalkeeper Serigne Diouf played an equally crucial role in the game. The keeper saved a first-half penalty from Alexandre Boukoulou, making amends after his earlier mistake that led to the penalty.
Senegal dominated the game, with most of the pressure in the final third, but Congo put in some effort to rally back and at least, claw off a point. Senegal’s second game will be next Tuesday against hosts Algeria, a game that will have huge implications on who qualifies for the quarter-finals.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
