Senegal Overcomes Early Scare to Advance in Africa Cup of Nations

A late goal from teenage substitute Ibrahim Mbaye secured Senegal a 3-1 victory over Sudan in Tangiers on Saturday, booking the former champions a spot in the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals.

The match, the first of the tournament’s knockout stage, saw Sudan stun their heavily favored opponents early on. Semi-professional forward Aamir Abdallah, who plays in Australia’s second tier, gave Sudan a sixth-minute lead with a finely curled shot.

Senegal, ranked 99 places above a Sudanese nation grappling with civil war, recovered from the early setback. Midfielder Pape Gueye scored twice before halftime, first equalizing in the 29th minute and then adding a second in stoppage time to shift the momentum.

The Teranga Lions controlled much of the second half but saw a potential penalty award overturned by VAR and an Ismaila Sarr goal ruled out for offside. The insurance goal finally came in the 77th minute when 17-year-old Paris Saint-Germain forward Ibrahim Mbaye, a recent convert from French youth teams, scored just four minutes after entering the match.

Senegal progressed without suspended captain Kalidou Koulibaly, having made six changes from their final group game. Sudan, who qualified as one of the best third-place teams despite not scoring a group-stage goal themselves, retained only one starter from their previous match.

Senegal will now await the winner of the later match between Mali and Tunisia in the next round.