Senegal opened their Africa Cup of Nations marketing campaign with a snug 3-0 win over Botswana, with Nicolas Jackson twice on the scoresheet.
Senegal dominated possession from the opening exchanges, pinning Botswana deep and creating a gentle stream of possibilities by means of Sadio Mane, Nicolas Jackson and Ismaila Sarr.
The early strain advised within the fortieth minute when Jackson opened the scoring, ending calmly from shut vary after being picked out by Ismail Jakobs.
Botswana struggled to alleviate the strain, though they defended in numbers and relied closely on goalkeeper Goitseone Phoko, who made a number of saves to maintain the scoreline manageable earlier than the interval. Senegal went into half-time with a deserved 1-0 lead.
Second-half targets seal the win
The sample of the sport remained the identical after the restart, with Senegal affected person in possession and Botswana unable to maintain assaults.
Jackson doubled the benefit within the 58th minute, timing his run nicely earlier than ending low into the nook after a cross from Sarr.
Substitutions allowed Senegal to keep up their depth, and Cherif Ndiaye added a 3rd late on, changing from the centre of the field after Cheikh Sabaly’s help to cap off a dominant show.
Botswana threatened sporadically however failed to noticeably check Edouard Mendy, whereas Senegal’s defensive construction remained largely untroubled.
The end result offers Senegal a robust platform within the group stage and displays their stability between expertise and attacking selection.
Botswana confirmed moments of resilience however had been finally outmatched throughout the pitch as Senegal eased to a convincing opening win.
