MATCH FACTS: Tanzania face buoyant Sierra Leone in Group A at TotalEnergies CAF U20 AFCON

Sierra Leone will look to continue their winning ways when they face Tanzania in their TotalEnergies CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Group A clash at the Suez Canal Stadium in Ismailia on Saturday (kick-off 18:00 local time / 15:00 GMT).

Sierra Leone have four points from their opening two games, including a stunning 4-1 success over hosts Egypt. Tanzania have only played once so far a 1-0 loss to South Africa.    

This is the first meeting between the teams at the TotalEnergies CAF U20 AFCON.

For Tanzania, this is their third meeting against a West African team. They previously met Ghana (0-4) and Gambia (1-1) at the group stages in 2021.

TANZANIA FACTS
·      Tanzania are still searching for their first win at the U20 continental finals having played four games (D1 L3).

·      Tanzania have now lost their opening game at the finals at both their tournament appearances. They lost their opening game against Ghana in 2021, a 4-0 loss.

·      Tanzania have failed to score in three of their four games at the finals. They have only scored one goal in a 1-1 draw against Gambia in 2021.

·      Their only other second group game at the finals was their 1-1 draw against Gambia in 2021.

·      Tanzania have never scored first in a game at the finals and are looking to keep their first clean sheet at the finals.

·      Tanzania had five shots on target in their loss to South Africa, more than the victors, who had three on target.

·      The five shots Tanzania had on target against South Africa is the second most they have had in a single game. They had more on target in their 1-1 draw with Gambia in their second group game in 2021 when they managed seven.

SIERRA LEONE FACTS
·      Sierra Leone are the first debutant since Uganda in 2021 to defeat the hosts. Uganda won 2-1 against Mauritania in the group stages in 2021.

·      Sierra Leone are the first debutants to score four goals in a game at their first finals since Benin in 2005, who defeated Cote d’Ivoire 4-1 in their second pool fixture in 2005.

·      In its current format, only one debutant since 1991 has avoided defeat in their first two games, which was Burundi in 1995. They won one and drew one game. They lost their third group game.  

·      Momoh Kamara scored a hattrick in Sierra Leone’s opening game, the first at the current finals.

·      Sierre Leone had eight shots on target and managed to score with four of them against Egypt.

·      Momoh Kamara managed 4 shots on target against the Egyptians, scoring three goals.

·      In their win over Egypt, Sierra Leone attempted 400 passes and completed 333. They had a passing accuracy of 83.3%.

·      Sierra Leone goalkeeper Mamadou Jalloh made six saves in their win against Egypt, the most by a goalkeeper in a single game at the finals so far.