Senegal defiantly displayed the Africa Cup of Nations trophy to their supporters on Saturday before going on to beat Peru 2-0 in their World Cup warm-up game at the Stade de France.

Nicolas Jackson ​scored four minutes before halftime, and Ismaila Sarr added a second in the 54th as ‌Senegal won their first game since January’s Cup of Nations final, when they beat Morocco only to be stripped of the title this month.

The Confederation of African Football’s Appeal Board awarded Morocco the Cup of Nations title after Senegal had staged a 14-minute walk-off during the final in Rabat, a decision that Senegal is contesting at the Court of Arbitration ​for Sport.

An hour before kick off in Paris on Saturday, Senegal’s players and coach ⁠Pape Bouna Thiaw walked around the pitch with the trophy to a delirious reception from a near-capacity crowd ​as they continue to scoff at the CAF decision.

Thiaw had declared on Friday that “we know we’re African champions” ​and the team wore a newly designed strip featuring two stars above their badge, representing success in the Cup of Nations in 2021 and again this year.

Jackson had an easy put-away for the first goal after a storming run down the right wing ​by Senegal’s teenage starlet Ibrahima Mbaye, taking over the attacking mantle with Sadio Mane absent.

Sarr latched onto a ​ricocheted ball that fell perfectly into his path but had to power past two defenders before scoring the second goal.

There ‌was also ⁠a convincing win for the Ivory Coast as they hammered South Korea 4-0 at Stadium MK, north of London, on Saturday.

Like Senegal, the Ivorians are among the nine African countries that will compete at the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the U.S starting in June.

Evann Guessand scored the first goal in the 35th ​minute after being set up ​by debutant Martial Godo, ⁠who then scored the third himself from a rebound at a corner after 62 minutes.

In between, Simon Adingra announced his return to the team with a rasping shot ​on the stroke of halftime to make it 2-0.

He had been omitted from ​the squad for ⁠the Cup of Nations in Morocco at the turn of the year, where the Ivorians were defending their title but went out in the quarter-finals.

Defender Wilfried Singo, another player back in the squad, side-footed the fourth goal with the ⁠last ​kick of the game.

The Ivorians next face Scotland at Everton’s Hill ​Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool, while Senegal head home to play neighbours Gambia in Dakar on Tuesday, where they are expected to again brandish ​the golden trophy in front of their home support.

Reuters

Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

Burundi took a commanding step towards the next round of the Africa Cup of Nations PAMOJA 2027 qualifiers with a convincing 4-0 away win over Chad in the first leg of the preliminary round on Friday.

Goals from Jordi Liongola, Bienvenue Kanakimana, Abdoul Karim and Mossi Nduwumwe secured a dominant win at the Stade Olympique Maréchal Idriss Déby Itno in N’Djamena, giving Burundi a strong advantage ahead of the return leg in Bujumbura.

The result puts Burundi firmly in control of the two-legged tie as they look to progress to the group stage qualifiers of the next continental finals, set to be hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

Burundi made a fast start and were rewarded as early as the sixth minute when Liongola opened the scoring, capitalising on defensive uncertainty to give the visitors an early lead.

Chad struggled to recover from the setback and found themselves further behind just after the half-hour mark when Kanakimana doubled Burundi’s advantage in the 32nd minute.

Trailing 2-0 at the break, Chad needed a strong response but it was Burundi who continued to dictate proceedings in the second half.

Karim extended the lead in the 63rd minute, effectively putting the tie beyond the hosts, before Nduwumwe added a fourth goal in the 74th minute to cap a clinical performance.

Meanwhile, Abel Yalew scored twice as Ethiopia secured a convincing 3-0 victory over Sao Tome & Principe to take firm control of their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2027 preliminary round tie.

Kenean Markneh had earlier set Ethiopia on their way with a 22nd-minute opener at El Abdi Stadium in El Jadida, Morocco, before Yalew struck nine minutes later to double the lead and silence any hopes of a response.

Yalew added his second of the night late on, finishing confidently in the 78th minute to hand Ethiopia a commanding advantage ahead of the return leg on 31 March.

The result puts Ethiopia in a strong position as they seek to progress to the group stage of the qualifiers for the 2027 finals.

Elsewhere, Somalia and Mauritius played out a goalless draw in their first-leg clash, leaving their tie finely balanced heading into the return fixture.

The preliminary round marks the beginning of the road to the Africa Cup of Nations PAMOJA 2027, with 12 of the continent’s lowest-ranked teams competing for six places in the group stage qualifiers.

With a four-goal cushion, Burundi will head into the second leg full of confidence, while Chad face a daunting task to overturn the deficit and keep their qualification hopes alive.

-Cafonline

Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

French journalist Romain Molina has claimed that interference influenced proceedings in a high-profile case involving Morocco and Senegal, handled by the Confederation of African Football.

In a video clip circulating online, Molina rejected accusations that he holds anti-Moroccan views, insisting instead that the facts available to him point to developments that, at one stage, went against Morocco’s interests.

“I’m telling you, in the first instance, there was interference against Morocco… I stand by it,” Molina said, adding that his position is based on what he described as behind-the-scenes information.

Molina revealed the existence of a message allegedly sent by Augustin Senghor, President of the Senegalese Football Federation and a member of CAF’s Executive Committee, to CAF President Patrice Motsepe prior to the appeals committee’s decision.

According to Molina, Senghor expressed concern over reports of a “secret meeting” that was allegedly aimed at influencing the case in favour of Morocco and against Senegal.

The journalist argued that the message raises serious questions about internal dynamics within CAF, suggesting that Motsepe could not claim ignorance of tensions within the governing body if such communication had indeed been received.

Molina also pointed to what he described as a contradiction in Senghor’s position—raising concerns privately while remaining publicly silent on the alleged meeting.

“On one hand, he warns about a secret meeting… on the other, he does not come out publicly to explain what he knows,” Molina said, questioning why such claims have not been openly addressed.

While the claims have sparked debate within football circles, there has been no official confirmation from CAF regarding the alleged interference or the existence of any secret meeting.

The case itself, which has already generated significant attention across African football, continues to highlight concerns over governance, transparency and decision-making processes within the continental body.

Molina’s remarks are likely to intensify scrutiny on CAF’s disciplinary and appeals procedures, particularly at a time when African football governance is under increasing global attention.

Whether the allegations will prompt further investigation or official clarification remains to be seen, but the controversy has once again brought internal decision-making within CAF into sharp focus.

Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H