Nicolas Jackson delivered a dazzling performance to fire Senegal to a comfortable 3–0 victory over Botswana in their opening AFCON 2025 Group C match in Tangier, earning the Man of the Match award.
The forward struck twice, once in each half, to set the defending champions on their way to a perfect start in Morocco.
Senegal dominated from the first whistle, pinning Botswana deep and creating chance after chance as they looked to send a clear message about their title ambitions after losing the crown in 2023. Jackson finally broke the resistance five minutes before the break, meeting Ismail Jakobs’ precise cross with a composed first‑time finish that settled any early nerves.
After the interval, the Lions of Teranga maintained their grip on the game, with Jackson again at the heart of every dangerous move. He doubled his tally in the 58th minute, timing his run perfectly to finish off an Ismaila Sarr pass.
Late on, substitute Cherif Ndiaye added a third from a Cheikh Sabaly cross to cap a statement win, but it was Jackson’s clinical display and relentless movement that rightly saw him walk away with the individual accolade.
