August 30, (THEWILL) — Senegal claimed third place at the African Nations Championship following a tense penalty shootout victory against Sudan on Friday.
The defending champions prevailed 4-2 on spot kicks after the match finished 1-1 following regular time at Kampala’s Mandela Stadium.
Sudan took an early advantage when Mohamed Tia Asad found the net from a corner kick just six minutes into the contest.
The Sudanese defence proved difficult to break down, frustrating Senegal’s attacking efforts throughout the opening period.
Senegal equalised shortly before the hour mark through Seyni Mbaye, who connected with a cross delivered from the right flank by Ousseynou Seck.
Sudan nearly snatched victory late in the match when Maaz Koko wasted a clear scoring opportunity with eight minutes remaining, finding himself unmarked in front of the goal.
The penalty shootout saw Senegal convert all four attempts through Joseph Layousse, Issa Kane, Vieux Cisse and Libasse Gueye.
Sudan’s hopes ended when Walieldin Khidir and Musab Makeen both failed to find the target with their respective efforts.
The bronze medal provided some consolation for Senegal after their semi-final elimination earlier in the week.
Morocco defeated the 2022 winners 5-3 on penalties following a 1-1 draw on Tuesday, setting up Saturday’s final against Madagascar in Nairobi.
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.
