Senegal finished top of Group D at the Africa Cup of Nations after a commanding 3-0 win over Benin on Tuesday, sealing qualification to the round of 16 as group winners.
Abdoulaye Seck gave the defending champions the lead in the 38th minute, rising highest to head home Krepin Diatta’s free kick and put Senegal in control before the break.
The Lions of Teranga doubled their advantage shortly after the hour mark, with Habib Diallo turning in a low cutback from Sadio Mane following sustained pressure.
Senegal’s night was briefly complicated when captain Kalidou Koulibaly was sent off after a VAR review upgraded his yellow card to a red, leaving Pape Thiaw’s side to play out the final stages with 10 men.
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Despite the setback, Senegal remained composed and wrapped up the win deep into stoppage time when Cherif Ndiaye converted a 97th-minute penalty.
The victory took Senegal to seven points from three matches, enough to finish top of the group on goal difference.
Seck, named Man of the Match, credited the team’s collective effort after the final whistle.
“I am delighted to have won the award, but for me it was a collective team effort that led to this. We knew from the start that the match was not going to be easy because Benin came out to fight. The effort of everyone ensured that we secured this victory despite playing with 10 men later on in the game,” Seck said.
Benin head coach Gerrit Rohr admitted his side struggled to break down Senegal, even after the red card.
“This was a very difficult match against a highly experienced team like Senegal. Even though they were down to 10 men, it was difficult to break through their defence because they were compact,” Rohr said.
“We also wanted to avoid situations where cards could rule out some of our players in the knockout stage, and that made us a bit cautious.”
Senegal coach Pape Thiaw praised his players’ discipline and reiterated the need for improvement ahead of the round of 16.
“The players deserve all the praise for their performance in this difficult match, especially playing with 10 men for parts of the game,” Thiaw said.
“We achieved our main objective of finishing top of the group, but we must correct our mistakes because in the knockout stage there is no room for errors.”
As group winners, Senegal will remain in Tangier for their round-of-16 match on Saturday against the third-placed team from Group E, either Burkina Faso or Sudan.
Benin, meanwhile, also progressed to the knockout phase despite the defeat, qualifying as one of the best third-placed teams. Their reward is a last-16 meeting with Egypt in Agadir on Monday.
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