By: Foday Manneh
Senegal won the 2022 WAFU Zone A U20 title with a last-minute goal against the Gambia in Mauritania on Sunday.
The young Scorpions demonstrated a perfect start to their absolute defense of the title with a goalless first half.
However, an 84th-minute finish from the Senegalese makes the only difference to avenge their loss to the Gambia in the 2021 final on their home soil in Thies, despite meeting on matchday four (4) of the group stages of the latter, where Senegal came out victorious with the same 1-0 scoreline as the final.
At the final whistle, the Gambia was awarded the Fair Play trophy and returned home as runners-up at the tournament in Mauritania.
The Gambia had reached the finals of the previous two WAFU Zone A U20 championships but have now managed to win only once against the same opponents, Senegal.
The young scorpions could not bring the Zone A U20 trophy back home. Still, a spot in Egypt for the 2023 U20 African Cup of Nations has been secured alongside Senegal following their semi-final win in Mauritania two days ago.
Coach Abdoulie Bojang and charges are returning to a tournament where they finished as third-place medalists under former gaffer Matar M’bodge in Mauritania, 2021.
