Senegal and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) battled to a 1-1 draw at the Abdoulaye Wade Stadium. A missed opportunity by Nicolas Jackson proved pivotal as the Teranga Lions failed to secure the victory.
Senegal, eager to reclaim the top spot in Group B, started the match with great intensity, creating several clear-cut chances.
Despite their dominance, they struggled to find the back of the net early on. Nicolas Jackson, who had a golden opportunity to open the scoring within the first ten minutes, couldn’t capitalize.
The breakthrough finally came just before halftime. In a moment of brilliance, Jackson set up Ismaïla Sarr, who, after a chaotic scramble in the box, slotted home the opener in the 45th minute.
The goal sent the home crowd into a frenzy, and Senegal went into the break with a 1-0 lead.
However, the second half saw a shift in momentum. DRC coach Sébastien Desabre made tactical adjustments that allowed his team to push forward.
Although the Congolese made several advances into Senegalese territory, goalkeeper Édouard Mendy remained largely untroubled.
As the clock ticked down, Senegal had another chance to seal the game. Jackson found himself in a promising position once more but failed to convert, missing a crucial opportunity to double Senegal’s lead. This miss proved costly.
In the 85th minute, DRC’s Fiston Mayele, who had been a threat since coming on, unleashed a powerful shot that beat Mendy and leveled the score at 1-1.
The equalizer stunned the Senegalese fans and players alike.
Despite a late surge to regain the lead, Senegal couldn’t break down the resilient DRC defense. The draw meant that Senegal, under coach Aliou Cissé, missed the chance to climb back to the top of Group B.
Instead, they remained in second place with 5 points, just one point ahead of DRC and two points behind group leaders Sudan, who now have 7 points.
Reflecting on the match, Cissé, marking his 100th game in charge of the Lions, might have some regrets about the missed opportunities.
“We created enough chances to win the game, but our finishing let us down,” he admitted post-match.
Senegal will now turn their focus to a crucial away fixture against Mauritania in Nouakchott on Sunday.
With their sights set on qualification, the Teranga Lions will need to bounce back swiftly from this setback and demonstrate their prowess on the road.
