December 23, (THEWILL) — Nicolas Jackson netted twice for Senegal in their opening Africa Cup of Nations fixture, a comfortable 3-0 victory over Botswana at Grand Stade de Tanger on Tuesday. The 2021 champions began Group D with authority, establishing their dominance against opponents ranked 119 places below them in FIFA’s world rankings.
The Bayern Munich forward threatened early, denied in a one-on-one within three minutes of kick-off. Sadio Mane and Iliman Ndiaye also created opportunities before the breakthrough arrived five minutes before half-time. Ismail Jakobs delivered a cutback from the left flank, allowing Jackson to convert with a first-time strike.
Jackson doubled the advantage 13 minutes into the second period with a composed finish. The striker skilfully evaded two defenders before slotting the ball beyond goalkeeper Goitseone Phoko. Substitute Cherif Ndiaye added a third goal late in the contest to complete the scoreline.
A hat-trick eluded Jackson when he fired over from 10 yards. Phoko, who produced several important stops throughout the match, denied Mane with another excellent save to prevent the Al Nassr forward from registering on the scoresheet.
The match took place in Tangier, with Senegal asserting their credentials from the opening whistle. Jackson’s lively performance and clinical finishing set the tone for the tournament holders’ campaign.
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.
