Senegal defeated Sudan 3-1 in the first Round of 16 match of the Africa Cup of Nations in Tangier. This victory further strengthened their claims in the tournament.
Redaksiya reports that Pape Gueye scored two goals, and the young Ibrahima Mbaye scored the winning goal four minutes after coming on from the substitute bench. During the game, the referee pointed to the penalty spot, but after a lengthy VAR review, the decision was overturned because the Senegalese player was offside at the start of the attack.
Senegal brought Mbaye onto the field in the second half to secure their third goal. He reacted to a long pass, sent the ball into the net, and defeated Abuzaid. Sudan initially opened the scoring with Aamir Abdallah's goal, but Senegal led 2-1 at halftime with Pape Gueye's goals. Mbaye finalized the score in the 77th minute.
Despite failing to score in their three group stage matches, Sudan qualified for the knockout stage by finishing among the best four third-placed teams. Their victory over Equatorial Guinea was achieved with an own goal.
As Senegal continued their attacks, Sudan had almost no offensive threat. The match was watched by the President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Patrice Motsepe.
The midfielder from La Liga club Villarreal scored a spectacular goal in the third minute of added time. He sent the pass into the net with his left foot past Abuzaid.
Senegal made six changes to their squad from the 3-0 victory over Botswana in their last group game. The absence of captain and central defender Kalidou Koulibaly due to suspension was a notable point.
This was the first encounter between the countries in the Africa Cup of Nations. They had also been drawn in the same qualifying group for the 2026 World Cup, with Senegal winning at home and drawing away.
The 17-year-old Paris Saint-Germain forward previously represented France at youth levels before switching his international career to Senegal, where his father was born.