No problem for the first steps of the reigning African champion in this 2024 African Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast. Opposed to their Gambian neighbors, Monday January 15 in Yamoussoukro, the Senegalese did not tremble and won easily with a clear score of 3-0.
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From our special correspondent at the Charles-Konan-Barry stadium, Nicolas Bamba
With the pressure from the outgoing champion, Senegal knew they were expected to face Gambia, their first opponent in Group C of this CAN 2024. Sunday, on the eve of this meeting, captain Kalidou Koulibaly had warned that he and his team would be ready and serious facing their Gambian cousins. And the Senegalese responded, under the sun and heat of Yamoussoukro.
Dressed in their white tunic and arranged in 3-4-3 with an offensive Mané-H trident. Diallo-Sarr, the Lions wasted no time. Served in the area by Sadio Mané, midfielder Pape Gueye opened the scoring with a well-placed flat foot (4e).
Dominated in the game, deprived of the ball, the Gambian Scorpions reacted with a free kick from Musa Barrow, passed close to Édouard Mendy’s top corner. But while the television broadcast of this first act was muddled due to technical problems, an incident in the game almost sealed the fate of this match just before the break.
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Sarr extinguishes a numerically inferior Gambia
Author of a big foul on Lamine Camara, the Gambian Ebrima Adams was first warned. But after reviewing the images, Moroccan referee Redouane Jiyed reversed his decision and decided to exclude the midfielder (45+8e). Trailing and reduced to 10 against 11, Gambia then saw its chances dwindle to nothing.
And as if to drive the point home, Senegal took advantage of the situation to make the break. Found in depth by Ismaïla Sarr, Lamine Camara deceived the goalkeeper Baboucar Gaye with a cross shot (52e). For Tom Sainfet’s men, the dream of a positive result was then unattainable. In the last minutes, the same Camara added to the score with a superb shot curled into the top corner, at the entrance to the area (86e).
Ideal start to CAN therefore for Senegal, logical winner of a disarmed Gambia. The Lions are reassuring and can approach the shock of the second day against the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, on January 19 still in Yamoussoukro, with full confidence.
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