2025A FCON: Senegalese Lions Devour Botswana Zebras 3-0 in Group D Opener
**DR Congo Pip Benin by a Lone Goal
2021 African Champions, the Teranga Lions of Senegal on Tuesday emerged the highest scoring team at AFCON 25 with a 3-0 bashing of less fancied 138th ranked Zebra of Botswana who are in their second appearances at the tournament.
Ageless Sadio Mane shot blank before being substituted but Bayern Munich Striker, Nicholas Jackson emerged the first player to score a brace which is two goals in a single match when he broke the deadlock of intense football scoring first in the 40th minute with an assist from Victor Osimhen’s team mate at Galatasary, defender Ismail Jakobs.
Jackson was again on course when another Ismail Sarr of Crystal Palace laced a pass to him to score in the 58th minute and then two substitutes, Cherif Ndiaye and Sebaly combined brilliantly in the 90th minute to make it 3-0 which turned out to be the highest score so far by any team.
Earlier, The Leopards of Democratic Republic of Congo on Tuesday afternoon tamed the Cheetahs of Benin Republic 1-0 in an intensive physical match of group D.
DRC ranked 56 in the world silenced Benin ranked 92 with a 16th minute goal by Theo Bongoudae of Spartaks of Moscow from a cross pass laced on from the left defence area by defender, Arthur Masuaka who plays for Sunderland.
Benin who are in their 5th appearances at the mundial with only a quarterfinal at Egypt 2019 to show had 62-38% ball possession typical of their new style of holding the ball as they contested with the 1968 Champions, DRC with a 10-11 shots at goal on which DRC had 3-1 on target; DRC playing typical physical rough game had 13-10 foul calls that saw 3-3 yellow cards and 5-5 corner kicks.
Group D second round games will be on Saturday 27th when Benin meets Botswana at 1330 hours and DRC meets Senegal at 1600 hours.
Nigeria is meeting Taifa Stars of Tanzania in Group C opening match at Fez just at 1830 hours while the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia takes the Red Devils of Uganda at 2100 hours tonight also in group C.
It will be the turn of group E when Burkina Faso lock horns with Equatorial Guinea at 1330 hours; still in group E at 1600 hours will be Algeria versus Sudan. Then group F will come to round of 1st group matches when Ivory Coast battles Mozambique at 1830 hours before Cameroon faces Gabon at 2100.
