Defending champions Senegal will kick off their campaign at the TotalEnergies CAF Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 with a Group C encounter against Gambia at the Ben M’Hamed El Abdi Stadium in El Jadida on Tuesday. The match is set to begin at 14:00 local time (GMT).
This marks the first time Senegal and Gambia will face each other in the U-17 AFCON tournament. Both teams have previously won the title, with Senegal entering as defending champions and Gambia having secured victories in 2005 and 2009.
Historical Encounters and Team Records
Senegal has struggled in open play against West African rivals at the tournament. They have faced Burkina Faso twice in the group stages, losing 3-2 in 2011 and drawing 1-1 before winning on penalties in the 2023 semi-finals. Additionally, they suffered a 2-1 loss to Guinea in 2019.
Gambia, on the other hand, has faced fellow West African teams eight times at the finals, winning four and losing four. Their victories have all been by a single-goal margin, with notable wins including 1-0 results against Burkina Faso and Ghana in 2005 and against Guinea in 2009. Their only multi-goal win came in a 3-2 triumph over Mali in 2005.
When facing defending champions, Gambia has only had one prior encounter, a 1-0 defeat to Nigeria in their second group game at the 2003 tournament.
In their most recent meeting, Senegal and Gambia clashed in the WAFU A qualification tournament, where Senegal emerged victorious with a 3-1 win. Both teams advanced from a group that also included Liberia.
Senegal’s Quest for Back-to-Back Titles
Senegal aims to become the second team, after Mali, to win consecutive U-17 AFCON titles. Mali achieved this feat in 2015 and 2017.
This will be Senegal’s fourth appearance in the tournament, having previously qualified in 2011, 2019, and 2023.
They won their opening game for the first time in 2023, defeating Congo 2-0 en route to winning the title. Prior to that, they lost to Egypt in 2011 and drew with Morocco in 2019.
Senegal had early exits in 2011 and 2019 but lifted the trophy in 2023 after going unbeaten in the group stage, winning all three matches without conceding a goal. They continued their dominance in the knockout rounds, securing a 5-0 quarter-final win over South Africa, a penalty shootout victory against Burkina Faso in the semi-finals, and a 2-1 triumph over Morocco in the final.
Senegal is currently on a seven-match unbeaten run at the tournament, dating back to their last group game in 2019.
Gambia’s Pursuit of a Third Championship
Gambia is participating in its fifth U-17 AFCON finals, having previously won in 2005 and 2009.
Alongside Cameroon, Ghana, Mali, and Nigeria, Gambia is one of only five teams to have won multiple U-17 AFCON titles.
The team has a strong track record in opening matches, winning three of their four previous tournament openers. Their only opening-game defeat came in 2011, a 3-0 loss to Congo.
During their title-winning run in 2005, Gambia won four of their five matches outright, without needing penalties. In 2009, they went through the group stage without conceding a goal and finished the tournament with a dominant 3-1 win over Algeria in the final.
Gambia’s biggest victory at the U-17 AFCON was a 4-0 win over Malawi in the 2009 semi-finals.
Both teams enter the tournament with strong histories and ambitions, setting the stage for an exciting Group C showdown.
