By our Correspondent in TANGIER
THE GRAND STADE DE TANGER was a cauldron of chaos last night as the heavens opened and the heavyweights of Group D clashed in a bruising 1-1 draw.
The 65,000-seater masterpiece in Morocco—known for its sweeping architecture and proximity to the Atlantic—became more of a water park than a football pitch as defending champions Senegal were held by a resilient DR Congo side.
Amidst the driving Moroccan rain, the “Lions of Teranga” found themselves drowning in the 61st minute. Former Chelsea stopper Edouard Mendy—usually as reliable as Big Ben—produced a rare “shocker.”
He fumbled a low drive from Theo Bongonda, allowing veteran poacher Cedric Bakambu to ghost in and poke the ball home from point-blank range.
The Congo end of the stadium, a sea of blue and red, erupted as the “Leopards” sensed a massive upset.
But you can’t keep a good lion down. Just eight minutes later, with the Tangier turf slick and treacherous, Sadio Mane reminded everyone why he is still the King of African football.
The former Liverpool man showed nerves of steel in the box, latching onto a loose ball and guiding a clinical right-footed finish into the bottom corner. The stadium—a architectural gem that bridges Africa and Europe—shook to its foundations as the Senegalese fans found their voices.
The Grand Stade de Tanger provided a world-class, if slightly soggy, backdrop for this AFCON thriller. While the football was high-octane, the conditions were a real leveler.
Senegal dominated 58% of the ball, but the Leopards’ counter-attacking bite flourished in the wet.
The result leaves Senegal at the top of Group D with four points, but this Tangier tussle proves that the road to the final will be anything but a dry run.
FINAL SCORE: Senegal 1, DR Congo 1.