Senegal advanced to the last eight at the ongoing African Cup of Nations tournament in Morocco after sealing a 3-1 comeback win over Sudan in their Round of 16 clash on Saturday.
The Lions of Teranga had qualified as Group D winners ahead of DR Congo, while Sudan finished third in Group E but qualified as one of the best losers.
However, it was the Sudanese who took a shock lead inside six minutes as Aamit Abdallah fired in past Edouard Mendy in the Senegal goal.
The 2021 winners upped the tempo and were soon level through Pape Gueye, after Nicolas Jackson had missed a glorious chance to equalize.
Ismaila Sarr had a goal ruled out for offside as the match looked to heading for a 1-1 draw at halftime.
Gueye was proving to be a menace and grabbed his second of the game in first half stoppage time after an assist from Jackson.
Senegal completed the comeback and were 2-1 ahead at halftime, putting one foot in the last eight.
Sudan started the second half brightly and were denied an equalizer by a stunning save from Mendy, who kept his side in the leadz
Senegal then gained ascendancy and continued their barrage of attacks in the second half, but were denied a third goal by Sudan goalkeeper El Neel.
Ibrahim Mbaye came on later in the half and grabbed his side’s third few minutes later with a well-taken finish.
The Lions of Teranga closed out a 3-1 win as they progressed to the next round of the competition, where they will face the winner of the tie between Mali and Tunisia.
Other Round of 16 ties include matches between South Africa and Cameroon, Morocco and Tanzania, Nigeria and Mozambique, Algeria and DR Congo, Egypt and Benin Republic, Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
