Guinea came from two goals behind to defeat Senegal in a dramatic semi-final and secure qualification for the Ghana 2027 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Syli U20 overturned a 2-0 deficit to win after extra time, with Ibrahima Ndiaye scoring twice, including the decisive goal in the 112th minute.
Senegal had looked firmly in control after Moussa Gueye scored twice to give the Young Lions a commanding advantage. However, Guinea responded with two goals in five minutes before completing their remarkable turnaround in extra time.
The defeat means Senegal, champions of the UFOA A regional competition, will not take part in the Ghana 2027 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations.
Guinea will now face Gambia in the final after their fellow West African side defeated Liberia 2-0 in the other semi-final.
Senegal lose control after taking two-goal lead
Senegal appeared to be on course for a place in the final after taking the lead shortly before half-time.
Gueye broke the deadlock in the third minute of added time at the end of the first half, scoring in the 45+3rd minute to give the Young Lions the advantage.
The striker then struck again in the 72nd minute, doubling Senegal’s lead and putting his side in a strong position to reach the final.
But Guinea refused to give up, launching a rapid response that changed the course of the contest.
Mohamed Camara reduced the deficit in the 74th minute, giving the Syli U20 renewed hope. Five minutes later, Ndiaye found the net to level the score at 2-2.
The equaliser shifted the momentum towards Guinea and forced the match into extra time, with both sides having to battle for the decisive goal.
Ndiaye emerged as the match-winner when he scored again in the 112th minute. His second goal completed Guinea’s comeback and secured a place in the final, leaving Senegal unable to recover from the late reversal.
The result marked a dramatic end to Senegal’s campaign, as a two-goal advantage ultimately proved insufficient to keep their qualification hopes alive.
Ndiaye leads Guinea into the final
Ndiaye’s two goals proved decisive in a contest that appeared to be slipping away from Guinea after Gueye’s second strike.
His equaliser restored parity in the closing stages of normal time, before his extra-time effort completed the turnaround and sent the Guinean players into the final.
The winning goal also secured Guinea’s qualification for the Ghana 2027 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations, rewarding a determined performance after they had fallen two goals behind.
Guinea’s progress follows a group-stage campaign in which they recorded victories against Mali and Liberia, winning both matches 1-0.
Their only defeat in the group stage came against Gambia, who beat them 2-1 in the third round.
That result sets up an opportunity for Guinea to face the same opponents again, this time with the final at stake.
Gambia await in the final
Gambia secured their place in the final by beating Liberia 2-0 in the other semi-final.
The meeting with Guinea will provide a rematch after Gambia’s earlier victory in the group stage. Guinea will now have the opportunity to respond to that defeat as the two sides compete for the regional title.
For Senegal, however, the semi-final loss brings their campaign to an end and rules them out of the Ghana 2027 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations.
Their elimination will be particularly disappointing given the position they had established against Guinea, having led by two goals with less than 20 minutes of normal time remaining.
Instead, Guinea’s resilience and Ndiaye’s decisive contribution proved the difference, turning a seemingly comfortable Senegal lead into a victory that sends the Syli U20 into the final and secures their place at the continental tournament in Ghana.
