Defending champions Senegal kept their title defense alive with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over DR Congo in their final Group C match at the TotalEnergies CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (U-20 AFCON) in Suez on Thursday.
Goals from Cheikh Thiam and Ibrahima Dieng secured the crucial win, sending the Young Teranga Lions into the U-20 AFCON quarterfinals as group runners-up, narrowly edging out DR Congo on goal difference.
Simultaneously, Ghana clinched a narrow 1-0 win over the Central African Republic (CAR), a result that meant only a win would suffice for Senegal to progress in the U-20 AFCON after picking up just one point from their opening two matches.
Senegal started the clash with urgency and were awarded a penalty in the 9th minute after Clayton Diandy was brought down in the box. Although Thiam’s spot-kick was initially saved, he reacted quickest to slot home the rebound in the 11th minute, giving the champions an early U-20 AFCON lifeline.
DR Congo pushed back, with Messy Manitu and Frédéric Ngoyala testing Senegal goalkeeper Babacar Ndiaye in the second half. However, their finishing let them down at key moments, and Senegal capitalized late on.
In the 81st minute, VAR awarded Senegal a second penalty following a Dieu Kalonji handball. Dieng made no mistake from the spot, sealing the crucial three points and keeping Senegal’s hopes of back-to-back U-20 AFCON titles alive.
📹 HIGHLIGHTS: 🇸🇳 2-0 🇨🇩
Senegal step up with a solid performance to claim all three points.#TotalEnergiesAFCONU20 | #SENRDC pic.twitter.com/lXTt4SMMUa
— CAF_Online (@CAF_Online) May 8, 2025Senegal finish second in Group C on four points, behind group winners Ghana, who collected seven points after their own 1-0 win over CAR at the Suez Canal Stadium.
Ghana’s decisive moment came late, with Joseph Opoku calmly finishing in the 84th minute after a surging counterattack led by Joseph Aidoo. The Black Satellites dominated possession and chances throughout but had struggled to break down CAR’s disciplined defense until the breakthrough.
For CAR, needing a win to stay alive in the U-20 AFCON, the defeat marked a disappointing end to their campaign, leaving them bottom of the group with one point from three matches.
Ghana U-20 coach Desmond Ofei praised his team’s patience and tactical discipline, stating: “The boys showed great maturity today, and now we’re heading into the U-20 AFCON knockout stage with confidence.”
Senegal, meanwhile, will look to build on their momentum as they aim to become the first nation since Nigeria in 2005 to retain the U-20 AFCON crown.
The quarterfinal lineup now sees Ghana and Senegal joined by other powerhouses, setting the stage for an exciting climax to the U-20 AFCON 2025 tournament.
