Senegal will meet Nigeria in the final of the 2015 Africa Youth Championship (AYC) after they beat Mali 2-1 to win the second semifinal on Thursday.
The hosts went into the semifinals as the second-placed team in Group A but that did not count for much when they met Group B winners Mali.
It was a very entertaining game as the two teams came racing off the blocks with Moussa Kone opening the score in the very first minute of the game. His goal gave hosts Senegal the lead just 57 seconds into the match.
Malian goalkeeper Sory Ibrahim Traore could not hold a shot and it spilled for Kone to tap home for the first of his two goals.
The Malians responded immediately with dividends as one minute later they were back on level terms through a long range effort by Alhassane Diallo which Ibrahima Sy, in goal for Senegal, had no answer to.
Senegal, who have never qualified for the Fifa Under-20 World Cup, kept on the pressure but it was Mali who nearly took the lead in the 36th minute through Saliou Guindo.
The second half saw both teams have a go at each other as Mohamed Guilavogui’s shot at goal was saved by Sy, though he should have done better.
Senegal got the go-ahead goal in the 80th minute through Kone who scored his second of the game as Traore could not get hold of Sidy Sarr’s effort.
Mali threw everything at Senegal in the last few minutes of the game but the hosts held firm to book their place in Sunday’s final against the Flying Eagles of Nigeria.
The Nigerians beat Ghana 2-0 in the first semifinal on Wednesday to earn their place in the final which will be played at the Stade Leopold Sedar Senghor in Dakar.
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