February 21, (THEWILL) – In a thrilling encounter at the Suez Canal Stadium of Ismailia, Congo held on to beat South Sudan 2-1 in their opening game of the TotalEnergies Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations.
Despite dominating possession in the first half, Congo lacked the cutting edge to trouble the South Sudanese goalkeeper, Simon Yogusuk. However, they managed to take the lead on the stroke of half-time through a close-range finish from Deo Bassinga. An injury to defender Sarfino Lado forced South Sudan into an early substitution.
In the second half, Congo doubled their lead through Soussou Ilendo’s penalty after captain Ngongara was brought down in the area. South Sudan pulled one back with seven minutes left on the clock when Paul Mara scored a magnificent goal, cutting inside the Congolese box before firing across Wamba’s near post.
The debutants almost snatched a draw late on through Atiki Abiaza’s low drive, but it hit the side netting of the Red Devils’ goal. The South Sudanese showed great spirit and fought till the very end, coming close to equalising in the game’s dying minutes.
Congo held on to secure the points and join Uganda at the top of Group B. The Red Devils will face Tunisia in their next match, while South Sudan will take on Cameroon.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
