Boulaye Dia put Senegal back in front with a header in the 61st minute against Sudan (4-1). The Stade Rennais striker, already on 5 goals in Ligue 1, sparked the Lions’ comeback at the Stade Léopold Sédar Senghor.
The Stade Léopold Sédar Senghor had been waiting for this moment for more than seven years, according to afriquesports.net. On their return to the Dakar arena, Senegal dominated Sudan (4-1), and Boulaye Dia scored there with a header in the 61st minute, from an El Hadji Malick Diouf cross, to put the Lions back in front (2-1).
The job was far from done, though. Nicolas Jackson, the Aston Villa striker, had opened the scoring in the 31st minute, following up an Ibrahim Mbaye shot that Sudan goalkeeper Moustapha Mohamed had parried. But Sudan captain Mohamed Abuagla equalised just before the break, getting the better of Kalidou Koulibaly. A response was needed from head coach Patrick Vieira and his group.
A header to seize the initiative again
Patrick Vieira can thank his striker. On the hour mark, Boulaye Dia headed in an El Hadji Malick Diouf cross to score Senegal’s second goal and silence the last lingering doubts born of Sudan’s equaliser.
The Rennes goalscorer is in a fine run of form. According to ligue1.com, he has 5 goals this season in the French top flight with Stade Rennais, which puts him 7th in the scorers’ chart.
Jackson, Mbaye and Mboup join the party
The Lions’ attacking evening did not stop there. Ibrahim Mbaye, already the instigator of the opening goal, scored the third in the 64th minute, three minutes after Boulaye Dia’s header. Pathé Mboup, of Stade Brestois, then completed the scoring in the 86th minute, with his first touch in a national team shirt, set up by Pape Matar Sarr, as reported by scoresway and So Foot.
All this without Sadio Mané, who was absent from the match according to beIN Sports.
Provisional top spot
With 7 points, Senegal provisionally top Group J, ahead of Mozambique (4 points), who have however played one game fewer, according to madeinfoot. Top spot remains to be confirmed: the Lions are waiting on the result of Mozambique against Ethiopia, scheduled for Friday 13 November, to validate their position.