Senegal defeated Nigeria’s flying eagles 1-0 in the Under-20 AFCON Championship opener on Sunday in Cairo.
Five minutes before halftime at the Cairo International Stadium, striker Soulaymane Faye broke the scoreless tie.
With Lamine Camara and team captain Samba Diallo orchestrating the WAFU-A champions’ midfield play, the Young Lions of Teranga got off to a strong start.
Senegal immediately made their intentions known by wreaking havoc in the Nigerian penalty box with striker Pape Diallo.
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On the half-hour mark, after Camara’s inviting delivery, Nigerian goalkeeper Nwosu denied Pape Diallo with a header.
Faye’s close-range finish resulted from the lanky forward being the quickest to respond to Pape Diop’s low effort, which Nwosu turned into his path.
The Flying Eagles pushed harder for the equalizer in the second half, but Senegal defended well to keep a clean sheet, and Samba Diallo even came close to doubling their lead.
That was when his diving header missed the bottom corner of the Nigerian goal.
Changes by Nigeria in the second half, in the substitution of Halliru Sarki for Emmanuel Uchegbu and the introduction of Jude Sunday for Ibrahim Mohammad, could still not help matters.
To make matters worse, the Flying Eagles were reduced to 10 men following substitute Ahmed Abdullahi’s sending-off in the match’s closing stages.
The forward had replaced Olamilekan Adams, but a high-foot challenge on a Senegalese could only earn him a 90th-minute sending-off.
Senegal though missed two late chances earlier, through second-half substitute Mame Ngom.
He failed to hit the target twice when he beat the goalkeeper to the ball only to fire over the goal.
The Flying Eagles will now take on hosts Egypt on Wednesday at the same venue in their second group phase game.
The hosts had earlier in the day in the competition’s opening match drawn goalless with Mozambique.
