Senegal Earns First Point at U20 World Cup After Draw with Colombia
Senegal’s U20 team has secured its first point in the final phase of the U20 World Cup following a 1-1 draw with Colombia on Wednesday. After a disappointing 0-3 loss to Portugal in their opener, Joseph Koto’s Lion Cubs started strong against the South Americans, showing dominance in the early minutes.
Mamadou Thiam opened the scoring for Senegal in the 23rd minute, raising hopes of a comeback in the tournament. However, a defensive lapse led to a penalty for Colombia, converted by Zapata in the 43rd minute, sending the teams into the break level.
Coach Joseph Koto expressed regret over the equalizer before halftime:
“We could have won the match if we had led until half-time. But we went into the dressing room with a draw and in the second half the players started to feel the pressure and stopped playing,” he told Galsenfoot.
The draw leaves Senegal third in Group C, trailing Portugal and Colombia. The Lion Cubs now must win their final group match against Qatar to stand a chance of qualifying for the Round of 16 as one of the best third-placed teams.
Koto remains optimistic:
“We learned a lot from the first match and it helped us prepare better mentally. We hope to win our next match and play better. We know what we have to do and we will do it.”
Senegal faces Qatar in a crucial group-stage finale that will decide their fate in the tournament.
