• Senegal 2 Gmabia 0 CAF U20 Cup of Nations Saturday 11 March 2023
  Venue – Cairo International Stadium – Referee – Mahmoud Ngi

The 2023 U20 African Cup of Nations takes place in Egypt this year as Senegal’s young Lions dominated and kept their 100 per cent winning record.

The Young Teranga Lions of Senegal flourished over their counterparts neighbours Gambia 2-0 on Saturday to win their first-ever TotalEnergies U-20 Africa Cup of Nations.

Goals from forward Sulaymane Faye and midfielder Mamadou Camara in the Egyptian capital of Cairo helped Senegal to victory over their arch-rivals.

The West African side qualified for Saturday’s final with a hundred per cent winning all their matches without conceding a goal.

The Young Teranga Lions were playing their fourth TotalEnergies U-20 AFCON final after finishing as runners-up in 2015, 2017 and 2019.

Midfielder Pape Demba Diop won the Umbro Golden Boot award of the TotalEnergies U-20 Africa Cup of Nations Egypt 2023.

The 19-year-old scored five goals in the tournament as he wrote his name in the tournament history books as the leading scorer of the 23rd edition of the biennial tournament.

It was a clean sweep for Senegal as star midfielder Lamine Camara won the best player of the TotalEnergies U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

Senegal’s keeper Landing Badji named TotalEnergies U-20 AFCON Best Goalkeeper

• February 4th: #TotalEnergiesCHAN champions

• March 11th: #TotalEnergiesAFCONU20 champions

🇸🇳 2 trophies within 35 days for Senegal 😯@Fsfofficielle pic.twitter.com/jLZwGPeNhu

— #TotalEnergiesAFCONU20 (@CAF_Online) March 11, 2023

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Shanghai Port winger Issa Kallon and Cambuur left-back Alex Bangura will not be available for selection as Sierra Leone prepares for the Sao Tome doubleheader later this month.

Coach John Keister’s side will return to continental action in the race to reach the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Ivory Coast.

Kallon, 27, who joined Chinese Super League club Shanghai Port in July last year, has confirmed his unavailability for selection.

“I am just returning from Injury. I want to get back to full fitness. I will not be part of the team as I am staying in China,” Kallon told Football Sierra Leone.

 He added, “We have a new coach who wants to see and know his players better during pre-season.”

When asked about future Sierra Leone call up, he said, “I do not know. We will see at the time my situation.”

Alex Bangura, 23, the Cambuur skipper, is unavailable for comment. However, a source close to Sierra Leone Football Association has confirmed Bangura’s omission from the squad, citing personal reasons. 

Third, in Group A, Sierra Leone is to host São Tomé and Príncipe on March 22nd 2023, at the 45,000-capacity Grand Stade Adrar Agadir in Morocco before the second leg on 26. 

Sierra Leone staged a second-half comeback to share spoils with Guinea-Bissau in their matchday two Group A Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in the Guinean capital in June 2022.

Both West African nations played to a 2-2 draw, and as a result, Sierra Leone placed third in the group with a point after their two opening games.

To regain qualification hopes, Sierra Leone must win both matches or at least secure four points against their Central African opposition as they bid to reach Ivory Coast next year.

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The Gambian starlet Adama Bojang scored the all-important winner against Nigeria in the semi-final of the TotalEnergies U20 Africa Cup of Nations on Monday night in Cairo.

The youngster, who netted a hat-trick in an emphatic 5-0 win against South Sudan in the quarters, was at his best at the Cairo International Stadium.

As a result, Bojang is the first Gambian to score a hat-trick in a CAF tournament, putting his name in his country’s record books. Technical observers earned him the Man of the Match award.

The Young Scorpions scored against the run of play when Ebrima Singhateh blocked a misplaced pass towards the path of Adama Bojang, who slotted past the helpless Chijioke Aniagboso after seven minutes.

Gambia will face neighbours Senegal in the final on Saturday, 11 March at 19h00 local time (17:00 GMT) at the Cairo International Stadium.

The 2023 TotalEnergies U-20 Africa Cup of Nations is Gambia’s fourth participation, and they have qualified for the semi-finals in three of the four tournaments.

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