The reigning Africa Champions, Senegal, asserted their dominance in the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with a commanding 3-0 victory over The Gambia in their opening match at Yamoussoukro's Stade Charles Konan Banny.
An early strike from Pape Gueye and a second-half brace from Lamine Camara secured the comprehensive win for the defending champions.
Despite The Gambia's attempts to regroup, a resolute Senegalese defense held firm, and matters worsened for them when Ebrima Adams received a red card just before the break.
Senegal's national team coach, Aliou Cisse, expressed satisfaction with his team's performance under challenging conditions, stating, “I am very satisfied with the performance of the players, especially since things were difficult given the climatic conditions and heat that we faced.”
Cisse also praised young sensation Lamine Camara, who earned the TotalEnergies Man of the Match title on his AFCON debut. “Lamine Camara is a young player, and his time has come.
He scored two goals against Gambia and gave a distinguished performance on the field. The young player must be trusted and developed,” added the coach.
