Sadio Mané secured a late 3-0 victory for defending champions Senegal against Cameroon, guaranteeing their progress to the Africa Cup of Nations knockout stage on Friday.
Mané’s decisive goal in the fifth minute of injury time capped off an impressive performance, complementing Ismaïla Sarr’s earlier goal and assist for the Lions of Teranga. Senegal, with successive 3-0 wins, now tops Group C and is assured of finishing among the top two.
Cameroon, a five-time champion, must win against Gambia and rely on Senegal defeating Guinea in their final group games on Tuesday to advance.
Cameroon’s goalkeeper, André Onana, started after missing the first game against Guinea. The game saw Senegal dominate early, with Sarr scoring in the 16th minute. The match paused for a cooling break, and upon resumption, Senegal maintained dominance. Kalidou Koulibaly and the defense thwarted Cameroon’s opportunities.
In the second half, Senegal faced tougher competition, but a goal by Habib Diallo in the 71st minute provided relief. Mané’s late goal sealed the win.
In another match, Cape Verde secured a comfortable 3-0 victory over Mozambique, becoming the first country to reach the knockout stage. Bebé, Ryan Mendes, and Kevin Pina scored, earning the Blue Sharks their second win in Group B. Cape Verde tops the group with six points, followed by Egypt with two points. Ghana and Mozambique each have one point before the final group games on Monday. The top two teams in each group advance, along with the four best third-place finishers. Cape Verde, participating in the Africa Cup for the fourth time, previously reached the quarterfinals in 2013. Defender Roberto “Pico” Lopes expressed confidence in their potential before the win over Ghana.
