Under-17 AFCON: Defending champs start with a win, Cote d’Iviore rout CAR
Senegal kicked off their title defence with a 1-0 victory over Gambia in a West African derby at the Ben M’Hamed El Abdi Stadium on Tuesday, April 1.
Ibrahima Sow scored the only goal of the game on seven minutes to secure all three points for the Young Lions of Teranga which places them second in Group C.
Tunisia moved to the top of the group on goal difference after cruising to a 3-0 win against Somalia at the same venue later on in the evening.
Fedi Tayechi (6′, 58′) broke the deadlock early on and completed the scoring in the second half, with Anisse Saidi having doubled the Eagles of Carthage’s lead just before half-time.
Meanwhile, Mali began their AFCON campaign on a positive note after beating Angola 2-1 at the Berrechid Municipal Stadium.
Goals in each half from Ndjicoura Bomba (11′) and Soungalo Coulibaly (74′) handed the Eagles maximum points, with Jayden Medonnell (45+3′) having restored parity on the stroke of half-time.
Ivory Coast signalled their intentions in Morocco with a 6-1 rout of Central African Republic at the same venue later on that night.
Alynho Haidara (4′, 13′, 41′ PEN, 55′ PEN) registered the first hat-trick of the tournament to set up victory, while Mobio Franck Koidio (21′) and Yannis Touali (88′) also got in on the act. Anan Jefferson Otto’s reply on the stroke of half-time ended up nothing more than a consolation for the Wild Beasts, who suffered the heaviest defeat of the group stages to date.
The Little Elephants went top of Group D on goal difference ahead of their West African rivals to round out matchday 1 of the group stages.—africanfootball
