South Africa’s U-17 side, Amajimbos, produced a spirited comeback performance to defeat Senegal’s Young Lions of Teranga 2-1 in an entertaining Group D opener at the TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations.
Senegal struck first and looked set to control the contest after taking an early lead through Ibrahima Sory Sow, who finished calmly to hand the West Africans the advantage.
However, South Africa responded strongly after the break and showed great determination to turn the game around.
Neo Bohloko restored parity for Amajimbos with a well-taken goal before Emile Witbooi completed the comeback with the winner to seal all three points for the Southern Africans.
The victory gives South Africa a perfect start to their Group D campaign and boosts their hopes of progressing to the knockout stages of the tournament.
Despite Senegal’s bright start and periods of dominance, the South Africans displayed resilience and attacking quality when it mattered most, frustrating the defending champions with their quick transitions and clinical finishing.
The result leaves Amajimbos top contenders in the group heading into their next fixture, while Senegal will now look to bounce back quickly after suffering an opening-day setback.
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