Pape Gueye double sends Senegal into AFCON last eight

 

Senegal booked a place in the quarterfinals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations with a 3-1 comeback victory over Sudan on Saturday, inspired by a brace from Pape Gueye.

Sudan stunned the defending champions early when Aamir Abdallah finished off a swift counter-attack to give his side the lead in the sixth minute.

Senegal responded with authority. Sadio Mané set up Gueye before the half-hour mark for the equaliser, and the midfielder struck again just before the break to hand the Teranga Lions a deserved 2-1 advantage at halftime.

Substitute Ibrahim Mbaye sealed the win with a thunderous strike late on, crowning a dominant second-half display by Aliou Cissé’s men.

Mbaye, aged 17 years and 344 days, became the youngest goalscorer in Senegal’s AFCON history. He is also the youngest player to score at the tournament since Gabon’s Shiva N’Zigou, who netted against South Africa on January 23, 2000, at 16 years and 91 days.

Mané praised his team’s resilience after conceding early.

“We played a good game from the start, but the goal we conceded came as a shock,” the former Liverpool forward said. “Still, we reacted well, scored the equaliser and kept pushing. Every AFCON match is difficult, but we did what was needed to qualify.”

Mané has now recorded 18 goal contributions at AFCON tournaments since 2006, the highest by any player over that period.

Senegal will face their quarterfinal opponents later this week as they continue their title defence.