Pope Gueye, this hero. This Saturday, in the round of 16 of the African Cup of Nations against Sudan (3-1), the Senegalese midfielder took out his gala costume. Double scorer with two left-footed strikes, the first into the right side net, the second into the left corner, the former Marseillais offered qualification to the Lions of Teranga.
Big favorites for this match, the Senegalese started off particularly badly. They even conceded Sudan’s first goal in the competition, with the Falcons of Jediane only scoring via an own goal during the group stage. It was winger Amar Abdallah, who plays for the Australian club Green Gully, who was the scorer after a superb left-footed curling strike (6th).
The difference in level was nevertheless obvious. And Senegal quickly took advantage of its domination to get back into the game. It was Pape Gueye who restored equality by taking a low cross from Sadio Mané (29th). In stoppage time in the first half, the native of Montreuil, who passed through Le Havre and Marseille and now at Villarreal, scored his double after a pass from Nicolas Jackson.
Ibrahim Mbaye delivers the final blow
After the break, the Lions of Teranga no longer took the slightest risk. Dominant with the ball but not very dangerous, they made the seconds tick by blocking all the offensive attempts of Sudan, certainly reduced and meager. In the 77th minute, Parisian Titi Ibrahim Mbaye finally scored the final blow after a nice deep call and a sharp strike.
First qualified for the quarter-finals, Senegal awaits its opponent. It will be Mali or Tunisia, who face each other this Saturday evening. The match will take place next Friday, January 9, in Tangier.
