Senegal, Gambia clash in West African derby; Ivory Coast return

04/01/2025 07:00 AM

Senegal will be hoping to get off to a winning start when they lock horns with Gambia in Group C of the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations in the concluding fixtures of Matchday 1 of the youth continental tournament.

The clash is set to be played at Stade El Abdi at 16h00 CAT.

Both teams have won the title previously, with Senegal being the defending champions and Gambia having won in 2005 and 2009.

Senegal coach Papa Ibrahima Faye, affectionately known as PIF by the football faithful is not underestimating any opposition they're set to face in Group C.

"I consider it not an easy group. I'll start with our Gambian neighbours. As you know, in a competition, teams competing for the top positions are often referred to as derby matches," he said about the upcoming clash.

"Even when countries aren't neighbouring, a derby can still exist. If we were in a neighbourhood football, we would talk about teams from the same area. On a broader, geographical level, a match against Gambia is then a derby."

The late kick-off at 22h00 will see Ivory Coast and Central African Republic meet in the competition in Group D for the very first time at the Berrechid Municipal Stadium.

Cote d'Ivoire are running in the competition for the sixth time, having been absent for a decade. Mali will go up against Angola in the group as well.

Somalia and Tunisia will also be locking horns in Group C on Tuesday, with their clash taking place at the Ben M'Hamed El Abdi Stadium in El Jadida.

This will be Somalia and Tunisia’s first encounter at the U-17 AFCON. In their 2023 debut, Somalia lost 2-0 to North African hosts Algeria. This will be Tunisia’s first time facing an East African team at the tournament.

U-17 Africa Cup of Nations Fixtures

Tuesday, 1 April

16:00: Senegal v Gambia
19:00: Somalia v Tunisia
19:00: Mali v Angola
22:00: Ivory Coast v Central African Republic