Guinea have qualified for the 2027 U20 Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana after overturning a two-goal deficit to defeat defending WAFU A champions Senegal in a dramatic semi-final.
The Syli U20 secured a place in the tournament with a 3-2 victory after extra time, ending Senegal’s hopes of defending their regional title and competing at next year’s continental championship.
Senegal appeared to be in control after Moussa Gueye scored twice, but Guinea mounted a remarkable recovery, scoring three times to turn the contest around.
Gueye gave the Young Lions the advantage in first-half stoppage time, finding the net in the 45th+3 minute. He struck again in the 72nd minute to put Senegal 2-0 ahead and leave Guinea facing a difficult task.
However, the Guinean side responded almost immediately. Mohamed Camara reduced the deficit in the 74th minute before Ibrahim Ndiaye restored parity five minutes later, setting up a tense finish.
With neither side able to find a winner during normal time, the match went into extra time.
Ndiaye then completed his brace in the 112th minute, scoring the decisive goal to complete Guinea’s comeback and secure their qualification for the U20 Africa Cup of Nations.
The result represents a major setback for Senegal, who entered the semi-final as reigning WAFU A champions but will now miss the 2027 tournament in Ghana.
Guinea’s qualification also marks the culmination of a campaign in which they have shown resilience despite suffering a defeat during the group stage.
The Syli U20 began their group campaign with a 1-0 victory over Mali before recording another 1-0 win against Liberia.
They subsequently lost 2-1 to Gambia in their third match, but recovered to eliminate Senegal and book their place at the continental finals.
Guinea will now face Gambia in the WAFU A final, setting up a rematch between the two sides after Gambia won their earlier group-stage encounter.
Gambia reached the final by defeating Liberia 2-0 in the other semi-final, securing their place in the regional title decider alongside Guinea.
Both finalists will have the opportunity to finish their regional campaign with silverware, but Guinea will take particular confidence from the manner of their victory over Senegal after recovering from a two-goal disadvantage.
The 2027 U20 Africa Cup of Nations will be staged in Ghana, with Guinea now among the teams set to compete for the continental title.
