On Saturday, the Young Teranga Lions of Senegal defeated their rivals Gambia 2-0 to win the TotalEnergies U-20 Africa Cup of Nations for the first time in history. Forward Sulaymane Faye and midfielder Mamadou Camara scored the goals in Cairo, Egypt.
Senegal’s victory in the final was preceded by an unbeaten run in the tournament, winning all their matches and keeping a clean sheet in each. This was the Young Teranga Lions’ fourth appearance in the U-20 AFCON final, having been runners-up in 2015, 2017, and 2019.
The team played aggressively from the start, with their direct approach causing problems for Gambia’s defense. They scored their first goal after six minutes through Faye’s header from a cross down the right channel.
Despite a few attempts from Gambia to get back into the game, Senegal dominated possession and doubled their lead in the second half through Mamadou Camara’s header from a corner kick. Gambia made a double substitution, but it didn’t have the desired effect as Senegal held on to win.
The victory for the Young Teranga Lions comes after the success of other Senegalese national teams, including the senior Teranga Lions, the Beach Soccer national team, and the home-based national team. Senegal’s coach, Malick Daf, led his team to a well-deserved victory, with Lamine Camara and Mamadou Camara being the standout players of the match.