Senegal take control as Mali stumble in Olympic qualifiers

Senegal secured a valuable 1-0 away win over Tunisia in the first leg of the second round of the African qualifiers for the women’s football tournament at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games on Thursday, 8 October.

The result gives the Lionnes de la Teranga a narrow advantage ahead of the return match at Diamniadio on Tuesday, 13 October. Tunisia must now overturn the deficit in Senegal to keep their Olympic hopes alive.

The match in Rades was one of the most eagerly anticipated ties of the round, but neither side could break the deadlock before half-time. Ndeye Awa Casset settled the contest in the 63rd minute, scoring the only goal of the game and putting Senegal in a strong position to reach the third round.

Mali endured a far more difficult evening, losing 3-1 away to Benin. The hosts took control before the interval as Romaine Gandonou scored twice, leaving the Aiglonnes with a significant deficit to overcome in the return leg in Bamako.

Benin extended their lead shortly after the restart when Milhad Sadikou made it 3-0 in the 47th minute. Mali responded seven minutes later to give themselves a slim possibility of recovering the tie, but they will need a much-improved performance at home.

Burkina Faso also made good progress by beating Equatorial Guinea 3-1 in Ouagadougou. The result gives the Etalons dames an important advantage, although they must protect it in the second leg if they are to advance to the next stage.

Ghana produced one of the strongest away performances of the day, defeating Mauritius 3-0. Abigail Kim, Alice Kusi and Benedicta Simon all scored in the first half, placing the Black Queens in a highly favourable position before the return match in Ghana.

Uganda recorded the day’s other notable upset, overcoming Zambia 2-1 in Kampala. The Copper Queens, who are regular participants at major international tournaments, must now respond in the return fixture to avoid an early exit.

Kenya claimed the biggest victory of the round, overwhelming Seychelles 11-0. That commanding result leaves Kenya with an almost unassailable advantage before the second leg.

The second round is being played over two legs, with the decisive matches scheduled for 12 and 13 October. The winners will progress to the third round of the African qualifying competition.

Morocco are the only team already through to the next stage, having qualified without playing in this round. After five rounds of qualifying, only two African teams will earn places at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.