Senegal did the job. Already qualified for the round of 16 of CAN 2025 even before the start of the match against Benin this Tuesday evening at the Ibn-Batouta stadium in Tangier, the Teranga Lions won despite a tense end to the match (3-0).
Opposed to the less dangerous Cheetahs, Pape Thiaw’s men mainly fought at a distance with the Democratic Republic of Congo, victorious at the same time over Botswana (0-3) to win first place in group D. Senegal finally fulfilled the contract thanks to a better goal difference (+ 6 against + 4 for the DRC), the two teams having the same number of points (7).
A considerable challenge, since it will allow Sadio Mané and his partners to avoid a shock against Algeria in the round of 16. They will find the third in group E, which will be either Burkina Faso or Sudan.
A dull first period
To achieve their goals, the 2021 African champions struggled, crossing swords with a very compact Beninese block. With five changes made by Pape Thiaw compared to the draw against DR Congo on December 27 (1-1), the Senegalese ogre never seemed in the rhythm of the match during a completely locked first period. The light finally came from Abdoulaye Seck, author of the opening score with an angry helmet strike following a free kick well struck by Monegasque Krépin Diatta (0-1, 38th).
A few moments earlier, Lamine Camara had just scored the first shot of the game – easily repelled by Beninese goalkeeper Marcel Dandjinou – proof of the poverty of the first act.
Little used since the start of the tournament, Édouard Mendy was decisive twice to prevent Steve Mounié (45th + 4) and Aiyegun Tosin (52nd) from putting the Cheetahs back on track. Finally, Habib Diallo gave the Lions some breathing space by closely converting a magnificent offering from Mané (0-2, 62nd).
Koulibaly excluded, Mendy decisive
While the DRC was getting more and more pressing a few kilometers from Tangier, coming back to one goal from first place, Senegal gave itself a real scare by finishing outnumbered. Excluded following a sole on Tosin’s ankle, at the entrance to the area, Kalidou Koulibaly left his teammates at 10 against 11 for the last twenty minutes (71st).
Determining, Mendy pulled out all the stops in the final moments, first flying to prevent Junior Olaitan’s free kick from entering his top corner (74th) then winning his face-to-face in front of Rodolfo Aloko (87th). Enough to allow Cherif Ndiaye to definitively validate his team’s success by transforming a penalty obtained by Parisian Ibrahim Mbaye in added time (0-3, 90th + 7).
