Senegal’s Sadio Mane scores 2 in easy win over South Sudan،
Sadio Mané marked his 100th cap for Senegal with two goals as Senegal began their World Cup qualifying campaign with a comfortable 4-0 home victory over South Sudan on Saturday.
There were also victories for South Africa, who beat Benin 2-1 at home in Durban, and for Tanzania, who won 1-0 away in Niger.
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Mané, a two-time African Footballer of the Year, scored the opening goal in the first minute for Pape Matar Sarr and scored one himself five minutes later, with veteran midfielder Idrissa Gana Gueye providing the assist.
A third Senegalese goal followed just after halftime in the Group B match in Dakar when 19-year-old debutant Lamine Camara stole the ball from the visiting defense on the edge of the penalty area and hammered the ball home.
Mané, 31, who made his debut for Senegal in 2012, added the fourth goal from the penalty spot 12 minutes into the second half before being substituted after 63 minutes to stay fresh for the upcoming qualifier in Togo Tuesday.
Senegal are looking to qualify for their third consecutive World Cup and are highly regarded in the group, where the Democratic Republic of Congo are expected to be their toughest opponents.
The winners of the nine qualifying groups advance to the 2026 finals, co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States.
South Africa took the lead in Group C after scoring early but doing a lot of work to secure victory against Benin.
Percy Tau gave them the lead in the second minute and Khuliso Mudau scored after some poor Benin defending to make it 2-0 at half-time, but Steve Mounie pulled one back to ensure an anxious finish for the hosts who have not participated in the World Cup since hosting the World Cup. 2010 tournament.
Australian striker Charles M’Mombwa scored in his first match for Tanzania as they beat Niger in Marrakech, Morocco, in Group E.
He fired in a deflected shot to boost his chances of being selected for January’s Africa Cup of Nations final in Ivory Coast.
Niger are among 19 African countries forced to move their qualifying matches to neutral venues due to poor facilities or security concerns.
Five more African qualifiers take place on Sunday, with Algeria, Egypt and Nigeria all facing tough away matches.
