CAF U-17 AFCON: South Africa, Tanzania Claim Key Victories As Algeria Hold Ghana

CAF U-17 AFCON: South Africa, Tanzania Claim Key Victories As Algeria Hold Ghana 

By Niyi Busari 

South Africa produced a spirited second-half comeback to defeat Senegal 2-1, while Tanzania recorded a convincing 3-0 victory over Mozambique in Thursday’s action at the TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

Elsewhere, Angola held former finalists Mali to a goalless draw, while Algeria recovered from a two-goal deficit to force a thrilling 2-2 draw against Ghana.

South Africa 2-1 Senegal

South Africa recovered from an early setback to claim an important opening victory against Senegal in a fiercely contested encounter.

Senegal dominated much of the first half and deservedly took the lead in the 44th minute when Cheickh Thior reacted quickest to a loose ball inside the penalty area to score.

However, South Africa responded strongly after the restart. Inganathi Simama restored parity in the 48th minute with a composed finish that shifted the momentum in favour of the Amajimbos.

The decisive moment came in the 55th minute when Senegal’s Thior inadvertently turned the ball into his own net during a goalmouth scramble, handing South Africa the lead.

South Africa then displayed defensive discipline and resilience to withstand late pressure from Senegal and secure all three points.

Tanzania 3-0 Mozambique

Tanzania delivered one of the standout performances of the day with a dominant 3-0 win over Mozambique.

The East Africans controlled possession from the opening stages and consistently troubled the Mozambican defence with quick attacking transitions.

Their pressure paid off in the 27th minute when Dismas Athanasi calmly finished from inside the box to open the scoring.

Mozambique’s problems worsened before halftime as Pascoal Miambo accidentally diverted the ball into his own net under pressure, giving Tanzania a comfortable two-goal cushion.

Razaki Mbegelendi completed the victory in the 63rd minute with a well-taken finish following an impressive team move, sealing a comprehensive win for Tanzania.

Angola 0-0 Mali

Angola produced a disciplined defensive display to frustrate Mali in a tightly contested Group C encounter that ended goalless.

Mali, runners-up at the previous edition, dominated possession and created the better chances throughout the match, but Angola goalkeeper Gelson Dala delivered an outstanding performance to keep the West Africans at bay.

Dala made several key saves and was deservedly named TotalEnergies Man of the Match for his heroics at the Mohammed VI Football Complex.

Despite Mali’s attacking pressure and fluid movement, Angola remained organised defensively and managed to secure a valuable point in their opening fixture.

Algeria 2-2 Ghana

Algeria staged a dramatic second-half comeback to earn a 2-2 draw against Ghana in one of the tournament’s most entertaining matches so far.

Ghana made a blistering start, taking the lead in the sixth minute through Isaac Barfo before Eric Gyamfi doubled the advantage five minutes later after another swift attacking move.

The Black Starlets appeared in control at 2-0, but Algeria responded impressively after the break.

Ilyes Grini pulled one back in the 58th minute with a fine finish following a well-worked attack, reigniting the contest.

Just two minutes later, Melwane Zaidi capitalised on hesitation in the Ghanaian defence to level the score and complete Algeria’s comeback.

The result leaves both teams with a point as the race for qualification to the quarter-finals and the FIFA U-17 World Cup intensifies in Morocco.