MATCH FACTS: Senegal, DR Congo open TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2024

Senegal face the Democratic Republic of Congo in their opening Group A fixture at the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2024. The match will be played in Mohammedia on Saturday (kick-off 15:00 local time / 14:00 GMT).

This will be just the second WAFCON meeting between the two nations. Their first encounter came in the group stage of the 2012 finals, where Lucie Nono scored a 74th-minute penalty to give DR Congo a 1-0 win in Malabo. Neither side progressed from the group, with hosts Equatorial Guinea and South Africa reaching the semi-finals.

The most recent meetings between Senegal and DR Congo were a pair of friendlies held in Thies in July 2024. Senegal won both matches, 1-0 and 2-0. Clubs from the two countries also clashed at the 2024 CAF Women’s Champions League, where eventual champions TP Mazembe of DR Congo defeated Senegalese side Aigles de la Médina 4-0 in their final Group A game in Casablanca on 15 November.

This will be DR Congo’s sixth match at the WAFCON against West African opposition. Their record from the previous five is one win and four defeats. That lone victory came against Senegal in 2012. DR Congo suffered heavy losses to Nigeria (6-0) and Ghana (4-1) in 1998, and were beaten by Mali (3-2) and Ghana (3-1) in the 2006 group stage.

Across those five games, DR Congo have conceded 16 goals and scored five, with their only clean sheet coming in the win over Senegal.

Senegal – Key Facts

·       This is Senegal’s third WAFCON finals appearance after debuting in 2012 and returning in 2022.

·       They lost all three matches in 2012, including to DR Congo, South Africa, and hosts Equatorial Guinea.

·       In 2022, they reached the quarterfinals, winning their opening two group games (2-0 vs Uganda and 1-0 vs Burkina Faso) before losing to Morocco and exiting on penalties to Zambia after a 1-1 draw.

·       Senegal failed to score in 2012, but netted four goals and conceded just two in their five games in 2022 (including the World Cup play-off).

·       They kept three clean sheets in 2022 after none in 2012.

·       They have won one and lost one of their two opening WAFCON matches: a loss to DR Congo in 2012 and a win over Uganda in 2022.

·       Ndeye Diakhate scored Senegal’s first-ever WAFCON goal in their 2022 opener, converting a 39th-minute penalty.

·       For the third time in three appearances, Senegal are drawn in a group with the hosts (Equatorial Guinea in 2012, Morocco in 2022 and 2024).

·       Their biggest WAFCON win to date was the 2-0 victory over Uganda in 2022.

·       Coach Mame Moussa Cissé is leading the team at a WAFCON finals for the second time, having taken over in 2019.

·       Senegal qualified for Morocco 2024 by defeating Mozambique 3-2 on aggregate in the first round and Egypt 4-0 on aggregate in the second.

Democratic Republic of Congo – Key Facts

·       This is DR Congo’s fourth WAFCON appearance after participating in 1998, 2006, and 2012.

·       They return to the finals after a 12-year absence.

·       Their best performance came in 1998 when they finished third.

·       DR Congo club TP Mazembe won the 2024 CAF Women’s Champions League in Morocco, beating hosts AS FAR 1-0 in the final.

·       DR Congo reached the finals by defeating Benin 4-2 on aggregate and Equatorial Guinea 3-2 on aggregate in qualifying.

·       Merveille Kanjinga, a CAF Women’s Champions League winner with TP Mazembe, scored in three separate qualifying matches.

·       DR Congo have never lost their opening game at a WAFCON: they beat Egypt 4-1 in 1998, drew 1-1 with Cameroon in 2006, and beat Senegal 1-0 in 2012.

·       They scored in six consecutive WAFCON matches between 1998 and 2012, including a 3-3 draw with Cameroon in 1998 and all three group games in 2006.

·       However, they’ve only won once in their last eight WAFCON matches (D2 L5).

·       Their biggest win remains the 4-1 victory over Egypt in 1998; their heaviest defeats were 6-0 losses to Nigeria (1998) and Equatorial Guinea (2012).

·       Across 11 WAFCON matches, DR Congo’s games have produced 45 goals (an average of 4.1 per game). Only one of their matches has ended 0-0 (vs Morocco in 1998).

·       They’ve failed to score in just three of those 11 matches and kept only two clean sheets — against Morocco (1998) and Senegal (2012).