Senegal’s quest to cruise into the CHAN quarter-finals hit a stubborn roadblock in Zanzibar, as a combative Congo side held the defending champions to a 1-1 draw in Group D.
Dechan Moussavou’s 19th-minute strike stunned the Teranga Lions, who struggled to impose themselves against Congo’s disciplined defensive wall. The champions, fresh from edging Nigeria in their opener, found few answers to a compact 4-2-3-1 setup that frustrated their attacking rhythm.
It took until the 82nd minute for Senegal to break through, Joseph Layousse capitalising on a goalmouth scramble from a corner to level the contest. But Seyni Ndiaye’s late header went begging, denying Senegal the chance to seal qualification early.
Head coach Souleymane Diallo had warned of a “trap” fixture — and Congo sprang it to perfection. The result leaves Senegal on four points, Congo on two, and the group wide open ahead of Nigeria’s clash with Sudan later tonight.
