Senegal kicked off their Africa Cup of Nations title defence with an impressive 3-0 win over 10-man Gambia in their opening AFCON 2023 fixture on Monday.
Aliou Cisse's side underlined their status as one of the pre-tournament favourites in a way that Egypt, Nigeria and Ghana could not over the opening weekend of the finals in the Ivory Coast.
Pape Gueye swept home a precise opening goal after just four minutes to set Senegal on course for victory over their neighbours, who were surprise quarterfinalists two years ago.
At the end of a first half interrupted for many viewers around the world when the global broadcast feed cut out, Ebou Adams was sent off for a high challenge deep into stoppage time, leaving Gambia with a mountain to climb in the challenging heat and humidity of Yamoussoukro.
Senegal vs Gambia final score
| Fulltime | Goal scorers | |
| Senegal | 3 | P. Gueye (4'), Camara (52', 86') |
| Gambia | 0 |
Confirmed lineups:
Senegal (3-4-3, right to left): E. Mendy (GK) — Koulibaly, A. Diallo (Ciss), Niakhate (Seck) — Diatta, Camara, P. Gueye (N. Mendy), Jakobs — I. Sarr (Ndiaye), H. Diallo (Jackson), Mane.
Gambia (4-3-2-1 right to left): Gaye (GK) — Janko, Gomez, Colley, Touray (Fadera) — Manneh (Barry), Adams, Darboe (Ceesay) — Minteh (Sangyang), Barrow — Sowe (Badamosi)
MORE: The Golden Boot race at the Africa Cup of Nations
Lamine Camara was the star of the show in the second half as Senegal eased to three points. The 20-year-old midfielder drilled in a low finish to make it 2-0 shortly after the restart, but it was his second goal that will make the headlines, the Metz youngster bending home a stunning first-time strike from the edge of the area.
The result sets Senegal firmly on course for the knockout phase. They will face Cameroon in their next match in Group C — a game that could potentially decide who tops the pool.
Senegal vs Gambia live updates, highlights, and commentary
90 mins: We'll have an extra six minutes here. Is there time for another goal?
89 mins: Jackson leads a quick break and Nampalys Mendy's shot is deflected behind for a corner. Senegal are pushing for a fourth. They nearly get it, too, as Abdoulaye Seck heads just wide.
86 mins: GOAL! Oh my word, what a strike from Camara! Substitute Illiman Ndiaye shows lovely footwork on the right of the area to escape three markers before teeing up Camara. The 20-year-old has a lot to do to score from the edge of the box, but he makes it look so easy, bending a first-time strike into the top-right corner. Sublime finish.
85 mins: Assan Ceesay is on to give Gambia some extra threat, but with Minteh having gone off, their lack of creativity is clear. Playing with 10 men for a whole half in this heat is no mean feat, so damage limitation might be their best option now.
79 mins: It's very stop-start right now. Players are struggling with the conditions even after that latest cooling break. It looks like Aliou Cisse is going to take off Niakhate at last — he's still limping a little — and Minteh is receiving treatment after his left calf seized up.
74 mins: Niakhate seems to be struggling with something, so it might be time to give him a rest. Both teams are making a few more changes.
66 mins: Double change for Gambia, including Sowe being replaced by Muhammed Badamosi. Can he get them back into this contest?
63 mins: The crowd is still making an absolute racket here. On the pitch, Senegal are a little more sedate, although they are comfortably in control.
58 mins: A double change here for Senegal. Chelsea's Nicolas Jackson is on, along with Pathe Ciss. The two Diallos have gone off.
52 mins: GOAL! Senegal double their lead moments after that Mendy save! It's a simple move and a lovely finish: Kalidou Koulibaly slides a pass to Ismaila Sarr, he feeds the ball through to Camara, and the 20-year-old midfielder drives a low finish into the bottom-left corner from just inside the area.
49 mins: Big chance and a big save! Gambia work the ball nicely on the edge of the box and Barrow clatters a right-footed shot towards goal. Mendy produces a firm one-handed save, and Sowe skies the rebound while off-balance.
Second half: Senegal 1-0 Gambia
The game is back, and, as you might have noticed, so is the picture! Let's see if Gambia can make a fist of this.
Halftime: Senegal 1-0 Gambia
The champions lead 1-0 at the break, and they also have a man advantage thanks to Adams' red card. Hopefully the world will be able to watch Gambia's attempt to stage an unlikely comeback, but the global feed is still out of action.
45 + 8 mins: We have the first red card of AFCON 2023! Ebou Adams has been given his marching orders for a studs-up challenge following a VAR review. Gambia are really up against it now.
45 mins: We're playing a minimum of four minutes of added time at the end of the half.
42 mins: Still no global feed. Whatever the outage is, it appears to be serious. On the pitch, we're approaching halftime.
36 mins: If you've been watching this match on TV or live stream, you may have noticed the broadcast feed has cut out. We'll do our best to keep you up to date on what's going on while whatever necessary repairs are made at the stadium.
30 min: We have our first drinks break of the day. It's 36 degrees C/96.8F out there, so these players have earned it.
25 mins: Good chance for Gambia! Minteh's positive run brings a corner, and Ali Sowe jumps highest to meet the delivery, but he can't turn his header on target. He perhaps leapt too early and so mistimed the contact.
23 mins: Things have quietened down a little on the pitch, even if the atmosphere in the stands is still lively. Senegal are comfortably in control.
15 mins: Abdou Diallo, already on a yellow card, is penalised for a rather unfortunate handball just outside the Senegal box. Barrow whips the free-kick into the side-netting.
12 mins: Senegal have settled very well in this contest. It's funny how a goal after four minutes will do that to a team. The overlapping runs of the wingbacks are causing a lot of problems for Gambia.
7 mins: Chance for 2-0! Lamine Camara makes inroads on the right of the penalty area, his cutback finds Habib Diallo, but the striker's attempted backheel finish under pressure bounces wide.
4 mins: GOAL! And just like that, Senegal have the lead! A poor defensive header drops to the unmarked Mane, he rolls the ball to Pape Gueye 12 yards out, and the Marseille midfielder sweeps home a controlled first-time finish with his left foot.
A beautifully netted goal & an even better celebration! 🕺
— CAF (@CAF_Online) January 15, 2024
Senegal. 👏 #SENGMB | #TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 pic.twitter.com/6UJkQDtGM0
2 mins: An early save for Mendy in the Senegal goal as Alasana Manneh lets fly from outside the box. It's a fairly comfortable stop, but the ball was well struck.
Kickoff
Here we go! Senegal get the ball rolling amid the soundtrack of a vibrant cheering section.
15 mins prior to kickoff: Yankuba Minteh is warming up with his Gambia teammates. The 19-year-old, on loan at Feyenoord from Newcastle United, is making his senior tournament debut here. Kickoff is coming up!
30 mins prior to kickoff: Al Nassr have wished luck to their star man.
First mission in #TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 🙌
— AlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN) January 15, 2024
Good luck to our star Sadio Mané with his national team 🇸🇳 pic.twitter.com/yi18xRRr2G
Team news
There's no Nicolas Jackson in attack for Senegal, with the Chelsea striker on the bench. Instead, Al Shabab's Habib Diallo leads the line, alongside Sadio Mane and Ismaila Sarr.
For Gambia, all eyes will be on Musa Barrow, the No. 10 lining up opposite teenager Yankuba Minteh and with plenty of pressure on his shoulders.
Looking good.. ✨
— CAF (@CAF_Online) January 15, 2024
📍 Stade Charles Konan Banny ready to host the reigning champions 🏟️#TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 | #SENGMB pic.twitter.com/RCCf6nsJHl
1 hour 30 mins prior to kickoff: Senegal are the second-highest-ranked team at this year's AFCON, behind only World Cup semifinalists Morocco. There is undoubtedly pressure on them to perform, especially with some of the other early favourites struggling. That said, Gambia reached the quarterfinals two years ago and have posed problems for Senegal in previous meetings, holding them to two draws in World Cup 2010 qualifying.
2 hours prior to kickoff: With the likes of Ghana and Nigeria failing to impress in their opening games, can Senegal stake an early claim to be AFCON favourites?
— Football Senegal (@FootballSenegal) January 12, 2024
Senegal vs Gambia lineups, team news
Cisse has the majority of his key stars available for AFCON 2024 with Premier League duo Moussa Niakhate and Idrissa Gana Gueye providing experience alongside an attack featuring Mane. Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson starts their opener on the bench, as does Everton's Gueye.
Senegal (3-4-3, right to left): E. Mendy (GK) — Koulibaly, A. Diallo, Niakhate — Diatta, Camara, P. Gueye, Jakobs — I. Sarr, H. Diallo, Mane.
Senegal subs: Gomis, F. Mendy, Seck, I. Gueye, N. Mendy, Jackson, Kouyate, Ciss, Ndiaye, P. Sarr, Diaw, Sima
Gambia's squad features players at clubs across the world and Saudi Pro League attacking duo Assan Ceesay and Musa Barrow are the key players. Ceesay starts on the bench, though.
Gambia (4-3-2-1 right to left): Gaye (GK) — Janko, Gomez, Colley, Touray — Manneh, Adams, Darboe — Minteh, Barrow — Sowe
Gambia subs: Jobe, Barry, Ngum, Marr, Fadera, Ceesay, Sanyang, Sundberg, J. Mendy, M. Sanneh, Badamosi, B. Sanneh
Senegal vs Gambia live stream, TV channel
Here's how to watch this AFCON 2024 match across selected areas of the world's major regions:
| Region | TV | Streaming |
| USA | BeIN Sports | Fubo, BeIN Sports Connect, Fanatiz |
| Canada | BeIN Sports | BeIN Sports Connect, Fanatiz, Fubo Canada |
| UK | Sky Sports Football, Sky Sports Main Event | Sky GO, Now TV |
| Australia | BeIN Sports 1 | BeIN Sports Connect |
| India | — | FanCode |
