MATCH FACTS: Defending champions Senegal start title defence against Central African Republic

Defending champions Senegal begin their TotalEnergies CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title defence against Central African Republic (CAR) with a Group C clash at the Suez Stadium on Friday (kick-off 18:00 local time / 15:00 GMT).

This is the first meeting between the sides at the TotalEnergies CAF U20 AFCON, though Senegal are facing a Central African nation at the finals for the fourth time and have never lost (W2 D1).

They drew and won against Cameroon 0-0 and 2-0 in 1995 and 2017, and defeated Congo 4-3 in 2015. All three games were group matches.

CAR have met a defending champion previously in 1981 in their first round qualifying game was against Algeria. They won the first leg 4-1 but could not play in the second leg due to civil unrest at home.

CAR are facing West African opponents for a third time after they lost to Burkina Faso 3-1 and Gambia 3-0 in the 2021 group stages and quarter-finals.

SENEGAL FACTS
·       Senegal are featuring at their seventh finals.

·       They were eliminated in the group stages in their first two participations in 1993 and 1995, but have since reached the final in their last four appearances.

·       Senegal were runners-up in three tournaments in a row in 2015, 2017 and 2019 before landing the title in 2023. 

·       Along with Nigeria, Senegal are one of two countries to have reached the final at four successive tournaments.

·       Senegal are aiming to become the first team to successfully defend their title since Nigeria won four titles in a row between 1983 and 1989.

·       Senegal’s record in their opening game at the finals reads P6 W2 D3 L1.

·       They failed to win their opening game at the first four finals that they appeared in (D3 L1), but have won their opening game at their last two appearances in 2019 and 2017.

·       Senegal drew their opening game in three of their first four appearances 0-0 with Cameroon and Egypt in 1993 and 1995. They also drew 1-1 with Sudan in 2017. Their only loss in their opening group game was a 3-1 defeat against Nigeria in 2015.

·       Senegal failed to win their first eight games at the finals (D4 L4). Their first win was their final group game in 2015, a 4-3 victory over Congo.  

·       Senegal are undefeated in their last 11 group games (W9 D2). Their last group stage loss was a 3-1 defeat against Nigeria in their opening game in 2015.

·       They did not concede a goal on route to winning the title in 2023, scoring 14 goals in their six games.

·       They are undefeated in open play in their last 11 games at the finals (W10 D1).

·       Senegal’s last defeat in open play at the finals was their 2-0 loss to Zambia in the 2017 final.

·       Senegal have kept nine clean sheets in their last 11 games at the finals. They have only conceded two goals and scored 24 in that time.

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC FACTS
·       CAR are participating at the TotalEnergies CAF U20 AFCON for a fourth time having previously appeared in 1981, 2021 and 2023.

·       In 2021 they drew their opening game to Namibia 1-1 and lost their opener to 2-1 Uganda in 2023.

·       In 2021 they were able to reach the quarter-finals, drawing with Namibia 1-1 and then losing to Burkina Faso 3-1. They won their final group game 2-1 against Tunisia and lost in the last eight against Gambia 3-0.

·       Victory in their final group game against Tunisia in 2021 is CAR’s only win at the finals (D2 L4).

·       CAR exited the finals winless in 2023, losing two games and drawing one as they exited at the group stages.

·       They are on a four game winless run at the finals having lost their final game against Gambia in 2021 in the quarter-finals, and their opening two games in 2023 against Uganda 2-1 and South Sudan 1-0. They drew their final group game against Congo 0-0 in 2023.

·       CAR have kept one clean-sheet at the finals, which was in their 0-0 draw against Congo in their final group game in 2023.