U17 AFCON: Ibrahima Sow’s sculpture beats the Gambia, sets tone for  Senegal in group C

Senegal defeated Gambia 1-0 in their first Group C match at the TotalEnergies CAF U17 Africa Cup of Nations on Tuesday thanks to an incredible early free kick from Ibrahima Sow.

Senegal got off to a fantastic start at the Stade Ben Ahmed El Abdi in El Jadida when Sow curled in a fantastic right-footed goal into the top corner from a free-kick in the seventh minute.

In a heated conflict between the neighbours of West Africa, it turned out to be the sole objective.

Gambia responded to the fiercely contested match with bursts of possession and pressure, especially in the second half.

In the 87th minute, Ebrima Jatta had a close-range attempt that just missed the mark, one of the risky moments the Young Scorpions manufactured.

Senegal’s disciplined defence held steady in the face of late pressure from Gambia.

Cheikh Dieng and Lamine Mbengue were instrumental in stopping assaults, while keeper Alpha Mbengue made a vital save in the 69th minute to deny Bisenty Mendy from a distance.

Senegal eventually settled with the one-goal advantage despite having opportunities to increase it, particularly when Mouhamed Wagner and Ousseynou Ndiaye both missed close shots in the second half.

Senegal now leads the table with three points after the victory.

The next match in the group comes Tuesday night when Tunisia plays Somalia.

Given their strong start, the Young Teranga Lions will be motivated to follow in the footsteps of their older counterparts, who have recently dominated the continent.

Seengal will play Tunisia on Friday, while Gambia will need to recover fast when they play Somalia in their next group match.

Every point matters in the competition for a spot in the FIFA U17 World Cup semifinals, since there are just two group-stage games left.