Seventeen-year-old Paris Saint-Germain forward Ibrahim Mbaye came off the bench to score the decisive third goal as defending champions Senegal recovered from an early deficit to defeat Sudan 3-1 in the first round-of-16 match of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations on January 3, 2026, in Tangier.
The victory sends the Lions of Teranga into the quarter-finals, where they will face the winner of the later tie between Mali and Tunisia.
Sudan, playing in their first AFCON knockout match since 2012 and representing a nation gripped by civil conflict since 2023, stunned the favourites in the sixth minute. Forward Aamir Abdallah, a semi-professional with an Australian second-tier side, collected the ball inside the area and curled a fine shot over goalkeeper Edouard Mendy into the top corner.
Senegal, ranked 99 places above Sudan in the FIFA standings and missing suspended captain Kalidou Koulibaly, made six changes from their final group win over Benin. They equalised on the half-hour mark when Sadio Mane laid off for Villarreal midfielder Pape Gueye to fire low into the net.
Read Also: Lookman Lone Nigerian in CAF’s AFCON 2025 Group Stage Best XI
Goalkeeper Monged Abuzaid denied Nicolas Jackson shortly before, but Gueye struck again in first-half added time, side-footing a cross past the Sudanese keeper to give Senegal a 2-1 lead at the break.
The second half saw Senegal dominate possession, with Abuzaid making several saves, including pushing away a Gueye effort. A potential penalty for Senegal was overturned by VAR due to an offside in the build-up, and Ismaila Sarr had a goal disallowed for the same reason.
Mbaye, who switched allegiance from France’s youth teams to Senegal—his father’s birthplace—entered midway through the second half. In the 77th minute, the teenager latched onto a long pass and finished clinically at Abuzaid’s near post to seal the result.
The biennial tournament, shifted to December-January to avoid clashing with an expanded FIFA Club World Cup, is being hosted by Morocco for the second time. Senegal topped Group D with seven points, including wins over Botswana and Benin plus a draw with DR Congo.
Sudan advanced as one of the best third-placed teams despite scoring only twice in the group stage—one an own goal in their win over Equatorial Guinea. Their campaign, led by Ghana-born coach Kwesi Appiah, has been a source of national pride amid ongoing hardship at home.
This was the first AFCON meeting between the sides, though Senegal maintained an unbeaten record in prior encounters, including World Cup qualifiers.
