MATCH FACTS: Senegal open TotalEnergies CAF Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations title defence against Gambia

Defending champions Senegal get their TotalEnergies CAF Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Morocco 2025 campaign under way with a Group C clash against Gambia at the Ben M'Hamed El Abdi Stadium in El Jadida on Tuesday (kick-off 14:00 local time / GMT).

This is the first meeting between neighbours and rivals Senegal and Gambia at the TotalEnergies CAF U17 AFCON.

Both teams have won this title previously. Senegal are the defending champions while Gambia are two times champions having won in 2005 at home and in 2009, when Algeria were hosts.

Senegal are winless in open play against West African rivals at the finals. They have played Burkina Faso twice at the group stages, firstly in 2011, a game they lost 3-2. They did defeat Burkina Faso on penalties in the 2023 semi-finals after the game ended 1-1. They also lost 2-1 to Guinea in the group stages in 2019.

Gambia are meeting a West African nation for the ninth time at the finals. Their record against fellow WAFU rivals at the finals reads P8 W4 D0 L4.

Senegal will become the eighth different West African team that Gambia will face at the finals they have only faced Ghana more than once, meeting them at the group stages ant the final in 2005.

All of Gambia’s wins against West African teams have been single goal victories. Three have been 1-0 wins, against Burkina Faso in the group stages in 2005 and Ghana in the 2005 Finals. They defeated Guinea 1-0 in their opening game in 2009. They have only scored more than one goal against a West African rival in their 3-2 win over Mali in the 2005 group stages.

Of Gambia’s four losses to West African nations, three have been 1-0 defeats against Nigeria, Ghana and Mali in the 2003, 2005 and 2011 group stages. Their biggest defeat was a 4-1 loss against Cote d’ Ivoire in the 2011 group stages.

Gambia have only previously faced the defending champions once before as they lost in their second group game when making their tournament debut in 2003 to Nigeria in a 1-0 defeat.

These two sides met in the qualification tournament in WAFU  A. Senegal won 3-1 but both teams progressed from a group which also contained Liberia.

SENEGAL FACTS
·      Senegal will be looking to become the second defending champion after Mali to successfully retain their title. Mali won back-to-back titles in 2015 and 2017.

·      Senegal have reached their fourth TotalEnergies CAF U17 AFCON tournament. They first qualified for Rwanda 2011 and then returned in 2019 for the tournament hosted by Tanzania. Senegal have reached three successive tournaments for the first time.

·      Senegal had never previously won their opening game at the tournament until they won their opening game enroute to winning the title 2-0 against Congo in 2023. In 2011 they lost 2-1 to Egypt, while in 2019 they drew 1-1 with Morocco.

·      Senegal had been eliminated in the group stages in 2011 and 2019 before lifting the title in 2023. In 2011 they began with successive losses against Egypt and Burkina Faso went out despite a win against hosts Rwanda in their final group game.

·      In their second appearance at the tournament in 2019, Senegal started with a 1-1 draw against Morocco and then lost to Guinea 2-1 and drew 0-0 with Cameroon in their final game.

·      At the last finals in 2023, Senegal went through the group stages with a 100% record for the first time, defeating Congo 1-0, and hosts Algeria and Somalia both 3-0. Senegal did not concede a goal in their first four games as they won their quarter-final clash against South Africa 5-0. They claimed a penalty shoot-out win over Burkina Faso in the semi-final that ended 1-1. They claimed a 2-1 win over Morocco in the final.

·      Senegal are currently on a run of seven games at the finals without a loss, starting with their 0-0 draw against Cameroon in their final group game in 2019 (W6 D1).

·      The record of the defending champions at the finals when they have qualified for the next tournament reads P6 W2 D2 L2.

·      Two defending champions, Ghana with a 4-1 win over Ethiopia in 1997 and Nigeria with a 1-0 win over Cameroon in 2003, have begun with wins, while Gambia in 2011 started with a 3-0 loss to Congo and Cameroon lost 2-0 against Mali in 2023. Twice previously has the defending champion drawn their first game as Cote d’Ivoire came from two goals down to draw 2-2 against South Africa in 2015 and Mali drew 0-0 with Tanzania in 2017.

·      Former Senegal Under-15 coach Pape Ibrahima Faye has replaced Serigne Saliou Dia as their coach. Dia has taken over as coach of the Senegal U20 national team.

GAMBIA FACTS
·      Gambia are featuring at their fifth finals. They have twice previously been winners in 2005 and 2009, while they were eliminated at the group stages in 2003 and 2011.

·      Gambia are one of five nations along with Cameroon, Ghana, Mali and Nigeria to have won multiple titles. All have two wins.

·      Gambia’s record in their opening game at their four previous finals appearances reads P4 W3 D0 L1.

·      Gambia have won their opening games previously in 2003, 2005 and 2009, all 1-0 wins over Ethiopia, Burkina Faso and Guinea. Gambia have lost their opening game just one in 2011 a 3-0 loss to Congo.

·      When winning the title in 2005, Gambia went through the tournament winning four of their five games (L1). All of their wins were outright victories without needing penalties.

·      When winning their second title in 2009, Gambia won all three of their group games and went through their first four games without conceding a goal. The first goal they conceded was in their 3-1 win over Algeria in final.

·      When claiming the title in 2009, all five of Gambia’s games were won in open play they scored 12 goals and conceded just one.

·      Ebrima Bojang top scored for Gambia at the 2009 finals, the most goals scored by a Gambian player in a single edition.

·      Gambia’s biggest win at the finals is a 4-0 triumph over Malawi in the 2009 Semi-finals.