By Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Guardian Nigeria
Published on 2024-01-19 19:19:36
Senegal, the defending champions, secured their spot in the Africa Cup of Nations round of 16 with a 3-1 victory over Cameroon. Ismaila Sarr, Habib Diallo, and Sadio Mane all scored in the match, giving Senegal a maximum of six points in Group C. Cape Verde also earned a spot in the last-16 by defeating Mozambique 3-0 earlier in the day.
Sarr netted the first goal in the first half, followed by Diallo and Mane in the second half. Although Cameroon’s Jean-Charles Castelletto scored late in the second half, it was not enough to compete with Senegal’s strong performance.
Cameroon had to play without star forward Vincent Aboubakar, who had not recovered from a thigh injury. Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana was back in goal for Cameroon, but poor defensive play led to the goals he conceded.
Senegal had a strong start to the match, with Sarr scoring in the 16th minute. The first half ended with just one shot on target, which was Sarr’s goal. In the second half, Diallo increased Senegal’s lead with a close-range goal after a string of short passes. Castelletto scored for Cameroon on 83 minutes, but Mane’s added-time goal sealed the victory for Senegal.
Guinea faced the Gambia in the second match of the double-header, with the opportunity to move three points ahead of Cameroon. While Cape Verde and Senegal have already secured their spots in the last-16, the remaining teams in Group C will continue to compete in the hope of advancing to the next round of matches.
Senegal’s strong performance has solidified their position as one of the top contenders in the Africa Cup of Nations, with their eyes set on defending their title.
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