U20 World Cup: Mixed Fortunes for Mali and Senegal on Matchday Two
Mali and Senegal experienced mixed outcomes in their second group-stage matches at the FIFA U20 World Cup in New Zealand, putting both African teams under pressure ahead of the final round.
After an impressive 2-0 win over Mexico in their opening game, Mali fell 2-0 to Serbia on Tuesday. The Europeans struck once in each half—Sergej opening the scoring in the 24th minute before Mandic sealed the result in the 74th. With Mexico defeating Uruguay in the group’s other fixture, all four teams in the group now stand on three points, making the final matchday a decisive one for qualification.
Meanwhile, Senegal managed a 1-1 draw against Colombia, showing improvement after their opening 3-0 loss to Portugal. Thiam gave Senegal the lead before Zapata equalized from the penalty spot just before halftime (43rd minute).
In the other game in Senegal’s group, Portugal cruised past Qatar 4-0, strengthening their position at the top. As a result, Senegal must beat Qatar in their final match to keep their hopes of advancing to the knockout stages alive.
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