U17 AFCON: Senegal starts with a victory!

Senegal kicked off the 2025 U17 AFCON with a narrow victory against Gambia (1-0) on Tuesday at the Stade El Abdi in El Jadida, Morocco.

While the Lion Cubs managed to bag all three points, their performance left some questions, particularly due to a lack of collective efficiency.

Fielded in a 4-3-3 formation, the defending champions opened the scoring in the 7th minute thanks to a personal feat by Ibrahima Sory Sow (Génération Foot). His superb free-kick from 20 meters nestled into the bottom right corner, catching Gambian goalkeeper Sebastian Haruna Darboe off guard (1-0). Video:

This explosive start could have suggested a more comfortable victory, but the rest of the match was much more complicated.

A win without shining

Despite this early lead, Pape Ibrahima Faye's charges never really gained the upper hand over their opponents. Lacking penetration and verticality, they allowed Gambia to hope until the very end.

The young Scorpions, though limited, pushed towards the end of the match, forcing the Lion Cubs to show defensive solidity to maintain their advantage.

With this minimalistic success, Senegal takes the lead in Group C, while Gambia finds itself at the bottom, awaiting the outcome of the match between Tunisia and Somalia.

For the second matchday, the Lion Cubs will attempt to secure their quarter-final spot against Tunisia, while Gambia must react against Somalia to stay in the race.

Amine Jomni |

Editorfr

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