The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) recorded a decisive 3-1 victory over the Central African Republic, while defending champions Senegal suffered a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Ghana in Group C action of the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on Monday at the New Suez Stadium in Egypt.
Senegal’s loss puts their qualification hopes in jeopardy heading into the final group match.
The second matchday of Group C at the U-20 AFCON delivered significant surprises at the New Suez Stadium on Monday. In the opening fixture, the DRC staged a strong comeback to secure a convincing 3-1 win against the Central African Republic. After conceding an early goal, the Leopards rallied with a brace from Noah Makanza and a header from Samuel Ntanda to claim all three points.
This victory propels the Congolese side to the top of Group C with four points. In the evening’s other match, Ghana produced a notable upset by defeating the reigning champions, Senegal, 1-0. Emmanuel Mensah’s 15th-minute goal proved to be the difference. Despite a dominant second-half performance, the Young Lions of Teranga were unable to break down the Ghanaian defense and find an equalizer. Ghana’s victory moves them into second place in the group, trailing only the DRC.
With just one point each, the Central African Republic and Senegal now find themselves in a precarious position as they approach the final matchday of Group C. The battle for quarterfinal qualification from this group is now set to be fiercely contested.
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