Mane rescues Senegal in draw with DR Congo, as Benin find first AFCON win

Former Liverpool guardant Sadio Mane scores the equaliser arsenic Senegal debar DR Congo upset, portion Benin bushed Botswana.

Sadio Mane’s equaliser earned 2022 champions Senegal a 1-1 gully with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) successful their heavyweight Africa Cup of Nations clash connected Saturday.

Cedric Bakambu had fixed the Leopards the pb conscionable aft the hr people successful Tangier, but Al-Nassr guardant Mane replied soon after, and the effect ensures Senegal enactment connected apical of Group D with 1 circular of matches inactive to play.

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Both teams person 4 points, but Senegal person a superior extremity quality earlier their last radical lucifer against Benin connected Tuesday.

Benin person 3 points aft a 1-0 triumph earlier Saturday successful Rabat against Botswana, who are bottommost without a constituent oregon extremity scored.

Sebastien Desabre’s Congolese broadside were seeking revenge aft a melodramatic decision successful the past gathering of the nations, successful World Cup qualifying successful September.

Senegal came from 2-0 down to triumph that brushwood 3-2 successful Kinshasa, a effect which allowed them to spell connected and apical their radical to unafraid a spot astatine adjacent year’s finals successful North America.

DRC were truthful forced to settee for 2nd place, but tin inactive marque the World Cup if they triumph a one-off playoff against either New Caledonia oregon Jamaica successful Mexico successful March.

Senegal, caller from beating Botswana 3-0 and seen arsenic possibly the biggest menace to Morocco’s chances of winning the rubric connected location soil, had much of the possession and much chances connected the day.

However, the Leopards took the pb successful the 61st infinitesimal erstwhile Theo Bongonda – scorer of the lone extremity successful their opening triumph against Benin – had a changeable astatine the extremity of a good determination parried by goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, and Real Betis striker Bakambu pounced to person the escaped ball.

But Senegal were lone down for 8 minutes, their equaliser coming aft a superb tally by teenage substitute Ibrahim Mbaye.

The 17-year-old Paris Saint-Germain winger Mbaye, who was calved successful France and represented them up to Under-20 level, precocious committed his planetary aboriginal to Senegal, for whom helium qualifies done 1 of his parents.

He replaced Ismaila Sarr conscionable aft Bakambu’s opener, and made the leveller from a penetrating tally down the right.

Mbaye burst distant from Arthur Masuaku, who appeared to injure himself going to tackle, and past saw his changeable blocked by Lionel Mpasi, but Mane was connected manus to score.

It was a 10th AFCON extremity for erstwhile Liverpool superstar Mane, who is appearing astatine his sixth tournament.

Benin grounds archetypal AFCON triumph successful their history

Yohan Roche ‌scored a deflected victor arsenic Benin claimed a first-ever triumph ‍at the Africa ‍Cup of Nations finals, with a 1-0 Group D occurrence against Botswana successful Rabat connected Saturday.

Benin determination to 3 points from their opening 2 games, level with Senegal and the DRC successful the table, who conscionable successful their 2nd excavation fixture ​in Tangier aboriginal connected Saturday.

Benin took the pb successful ‍the 28th infinitesimal erstwhile Roche played a one-two successful the container with skipper Steve Mounie, and his changeable from 9 metres (10 yards) took a wicked deflection disconnected a defender ‍and into ⁠the net.

Benin yet celebrated a triumph astatine the continental finals connected the 16th attempt, pursuing their debut successful 2004, and contempt the information that they were quarterfinalists successful 2019. They besides person 5 draws to spell with 10 defeats.

Botswana offered small going forward, though Mothusi Johnson struck the crossbar with a curling free-kick that ​beat the goalkeeper but not the framework of the ‌goal.

Benin had respective chances to adhd to their score, though Botswana goalkeeper Goitseone Phoko made an fantabulous debased halt to contradict Tamimou Ouorou.

Dodo Dokou past worked an fantabulous shooting ‌chance 11 metres (12 yards) from extremity successful added clip astatine the extremity of the game, but fired implicit ‌the barroom with the extremity gaping.

Botswana go ⁠the 2nd team, aft Benin, to suffer their archetypal 5 Cup of Nations matches aft 3 defeats connected debut successful 2012 and an opening 3-0 nonaccomplishment to Senegal this year.

They ‌meet DRC successful their last excavation crippled connected Tuesday, portion Benin look Senegal astatine the aforesaid time.

The apical 2 teams successful each pool, ‍as good arsenic the 4 champion third-placed sides crossed the six groups, suffice for the Round of 16.