CAN U20: Senegal overcomes DR Congo and books a ticket to the quarter-finals!

Senegal had no other choice. To keep their hopes alive in this 2025 U20 AFCON, nothing less than a win against DR Congo would do on Thursday.

Mission accomplished for the Young Lions, who cruised to a 2-0 victory in a match they dominated from start to finish. This triumph secures their spot in the quarter-finals.

From the opening minutes, Senegal set the tone with relentless attacks. A foul by Tonny Talasi on Diandy earned Thiam a penalty, but Mayangila denied him from the spot.

However, the young Senegalese captain refused to give up and followed up his own shot to open the scoring (1-0, 11th minute). DR Congo, timid in their response, struggled to react and left control of the game to their opponents.

VAR seals the outcome

After the break, Diandy came close to doubling the lead in a one-on-one with the Congolese goalkeeper.

The breakthrough finally came late in the match, after a handball in the box was revealed by VAR. Ibrahima Dieng coolly converted the second penalty (87th minute).

With this victory, Senegal keeps their journey alive. Thanks to a twist of fate, DR Congo advances as well: they finish among the best third-placed teams and will also play in the quarter-finals.

Here is the final Group C standings of the U20 AFCON:

1. Ghana: 7 pts (Qualified)
2. Senegal: 4 pts (Qualified)
3. DR Congo: 4 pts (Qualified as best third-placed)
4. Central African Republic: 1 pt (Eliminated)

Amine Jomni |

Editorfr

African football writer and sports journalist covering football news, stories and insights while sharing his expertise with fans across the continent.