LIONS OF SENEGAL FEASTS ON BENIN
BY OUR MAN AT THE STADE IBN BATOUTA, TANGIER
THE spectacular Grand Stade de Tanger provided a backdrop of pure Moroccan magic as Senegal’s Teranga Lions feasted on Benin to seal their spot at the top of Group D.
Under the towering floodlights of the 65,000-seater Ibn Batouta, the defending champions turned the coastal city of Tangier into their own private playground with a clinical 3-0 demolition.
The white-and-blue bowl of the stadium, perched on the edge of the Atlantic, was rocking as Senegal proved why they are the kings of the continent.
Abdoulaye Seck got the party started in the 38th minute, rising highest in the Tangier air to power home a header that left the Benin keeper clutching at shadows.
Despite the salty breeze blowing off the Med, the Lions were red hot.
Habib Diallo doubled the lead after the break, finishing off a move as smooth as the Moroccan marble in the stadium’s VIP suites.
Even a controversial red card for skipper Kalidou Koulibaly—on his landmark 100th appearance—couldn’t spoil the atmosphere in the cavernous arena.
The Benin Cheetahs tried to claw their way back, but the wall of noise from the traveling Senegalese fans in the Ibn Batouta stands kept them at bay.
Deep into stoppage time, Cherif Ndiaye stepped up to the spot to make it three, slotting his penalty home to ensure the scoreboard reflected Senegal’s total dominance.
As the final whistle echoed around the magnificent Tangier bowl, the Lions walked off the pitch not just as winners, but as masters of Morocco.
