Senegal’s hopes of defending their title in the TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations were dashed on Friday evening when they were eliminated in a tense quarter-final match against Côte d’Ivoire.
The match was highly tactical yet entertaining, with Côte d’Ivoire ultimately emerging victorious over the defending champions, who watched their title hopes slip away.
As anticipated, both teams approached the match with caution, opting for a more reserved style of play instead of their usual quick, interchanging passing. The teams were evenly matched, with star players Alynho Haidara from Côte d’Ivoire and Barhama Ndiaye from Senegal being kept quiet for most of the game.
After halftime, the game opened up slightly, with both sides seeking the elusive goal. A significant opportunity arose for Vaboue Doumbia in the 87th minute when his attempted low cross nearly found the net, but the goalkeeper was well beaten.
Senegal almost clinched victory at the last moment when substitute Ibrahima Sow’s close-range effort was cleared off the line.
With the score tied at 0-0, the match was decided by penalty kicks, where Côte d’Ivoire triumphed 5-3.
