U20 AFCON: double delight for Senegal and Nigeria
U20 AFCON: Senegal and Nigeria booked their places in the semi-finals by beating Benin (1-0) and Uganda respectively.
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The first U20 AFCON quarter-final on Thursday 2 March pitted Senegal against Benin. After a flawless group stage, with a perfect record and plenty of goals, the young Lions were favourites against a Benin side who had qualified as one of the best third-placed teams. Unsurprisingly, Senegal won by the narrowest margin (1-0). They secured their place in the semi-finals and, at the same time, at the age-group World Cup scheduled for May in Indonesia.
Samba Diallo scored the only goal. From a fine Lamine Camara cross, the young Lions’ number 10 beat the Benin goalkeeper with a diving header (51st minute). Senegal will face the winners of Tunisia-Congo in the semi-finals.
Nigeria reach the semi-finals and World Cup
Like Senegal, who beat Benin (1-0) earlier in the afternoon, Nigeria also secured a semi-final place at U20 AFCON. The Nigerians beat Uganda (1-0) through an Ibrahim Juma own goal (30'). They also qualified for the U20 World Cup. In the semi-finals, Nigeria will face the winners of Gambia-South Sudan, whose quarter-final is on Friday at 14:00.
Also read: U20 AFCON: results and the full schedule