Senegal U17 women’s team secured a place in the next round of the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers after a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Tunisia in Dakar.
The win, achieved at the Léopold Sédar Senghor Stadium, ensured Senegal progressed 3-2 on aggregate following a 1-1 draw in the first leg played in Sousse.
In front of a home crowd, Senegal showed composure and attacking efficiency to take control of the tie. Mariama Faty opened the scoring in the 30th minute, giving the hosts a crucial advantage and setting the tone for a disciplined performance.
The momentum continued into the second half when Diarra Diène doubled the lead with an impressive long-range effort in the 52nd minute, putting Senegal firmly in command of the contest.
Tunisia responded through a long-range free kick from Ben Mabrouk in the 64th minute, aided by a goalkeeping error from Awa Baldé.
The goal briefly reignited hopes for the visitors, but Senegal’s defence held firm under pressure to secure the result.
The victory highlighted Senegal’s resilience and ability to manage key moments across both legs.
After a tightly contested first encounter, the West African side capitalised on home advantage to edge the tie and continue their qualification journey.
This progression keeps alive Senegal’s ambitions of reaching the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup, set to take place in Morocco later this year.
Attention now turns to the second round, where Senegal will face Cameroon in what promises to be a compelling clash between two in-form teams.
The next phase of qualifiers is scheduled for late May, with first-leg matches taking place between May 22 and 24, and return fixtures set for May 29 to 31.
