Senegal secures top spot in group C at AFCON 2023
Defending champions Senegal clinched the top position in Group C at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations by defeating Guinea 2-0 in a fiercely contested match. Abdoulaye Seck opened the scoring for the Teranga Lions with a header from a free-kick, and Iliman Ndiaye sealed the victory with a well-placed low finish in the final minute.
Senegal, under the guidance of coach Aliou Cisse, finished the group stage with a flawless 100% record. They will stay in Yamoussoukro and face a third-placed team from either Group A or F in the Round of 16 on Monday. Guinea, already assured of qualification before the match, secured the third spot in the group after Cameroon’s 3-2 victory over The Gambia.
Guinea, managed by Kaba Diawara, rested several key players for the knockout stages, knowing they were guaranteed to progress as one of the best third-placed teams. The West African derby saw an intense encounter, but the first half ended without a single shot on target.
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Despite a less convincing performance, Senegal managed to handle Guinea’s physicality effectively, maintaining their pursuit to become the first team to retain the AFCON trophy since Egypt in 2010. Guinea, on the other hand, aims to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 2015.
In the other Group C match, Cameroon staged a comeback with two late goals to secure the second spot in the group on goals scored. Rigobert Song’s side will face Nigeria in the Round of 16 at Abidjan’s Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium on Saturday.
The Gambia, despite threatening to upset Cameroon’s hopes with a 91st-minute goal, saw their tournament journey come to an end after VAR intervention.
