Senegal’s defence of their U20 Africa Cup of Nations title ended in disarray in Egypt, as a team brimming with European-based talent failed to meet expectations and exited the tournament in the quarter-finals.
Much was expected of the young Lionceaux, the reigning champions, who arrived with a roster widely praised for its potential.
Instead, the campaign was marked by inconsistency, technical lapses, and a visible lack of leadership across key positions.
Midfield was billed as the team’s stronghold, but Pierre-Antoine Dorival—on the books at Olympique Lyonnais—failed to leave a meaningful imprint.
Handed starts in the opening two fixtures against the Central African Republic and Ghana, Dorival’s performances were subdued.
His passing lacked imagination, and he struggled to assert physical control in midfield.
After being dropped for the group finale against the Democratic Republic of Congo, he returned against Nigeria in the quarter-finals.
While there was a marginal improvement in intensity, it was still far from enough to impact proceedings. His missed penalty in the shootout against Nigeria summed up a forgettable tournament.
Alongside him, Strasbourg’s Pape Daouda Diong also struggled to impose himself.
The Ligue 1 regular began brightly in the opening game but faded significantly in the second, where he was guilty of repeated turnovers and poor decision-making in possession.
Dropped for the decisive group match, Diong’s role dwindled, and he remained an unused substitute in the knockout clash against Nigeria—a stark contrast to the stabilising influence he was expected to be.
Out wide, Mame Mor Faye endured a similarly disappointing campaign.
A standout for Eroksport in Turkey’s second division this season, Faye arrived with impressive stats but was unable to replicate that form on the continental stage.
He started two matches but made little impact and came off the bench in the quarter-final with equal ineffectiveness. Lacking clarity in his decision-making and sharpness in duels, his tournament ended without a single goal or assist.
Clinton Diangy showed more energy, especially in the win over DR Congo, where he was among Senegal’s livelier players.
The Aris Thessaloniki winger brought urgency to the flanks, but his end product was missing.
His missed penalty in the shootout mirrored the pattern of effort without efficiency.
Perhaps the greatest letdown was the muted contribution of 17-year-old Yaye Diémé.
The Diambars prospect, widely tipped for stardom and already under the radar of Chelsea’s BlueCo group, began with promise, delivering an assist seconds after coming on against the Central African Republic.
But handed a start against Ghana, Diémé faded from the game, and his subsequent appearances were marked by hesitation and invisibility.
For a squad once labelled Senegal’s golden generation, the 2025 AFCON proved a harsh reality check.
Promises went unfulfilled, and the campaign ends with far more questions than answers for a team that entered Egypt as champions but exited as shadows of their potential.
