FIFA World Cup Qualifiers: Senegal Makes Comeback to Top Group B, Beating Mauritania in a Close Match

The senior team of Senegal battled for a duel victory over Mauritania in a 2026 World Cup qualifier match. This was the lions’ first encounter in the Cheikh Bouya stadium, though they had a stronghold in the first period as Habib Diallo secured the only goal of the match from the effort of Pape Matar Sarr.

This win, though, is a relief for Senegal, especially after their 1-1 draw against the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) last Thursday. They lost the top spot in Group B, but with this win, Aliou Cisse’s team briefly tops the group. 

It was a tough battle for the team, considering the calibre of the opponent and the moment in the tournament, and overall, the match was quite refreshing to watch. The Lions’ defence never relented and repelled many threats that the Mauritanian team made in their attempt to equalize. Midfielders and forwards cooperated actively to create scoring opportunities and to apply constant pressure to the rivals in the case of the Senegalese national team.

Habib Diallo’s goal in the first half became the winning one, while Mauritania was not able to develop a serious challenge in the match. However, effective tactics by the team from Mauritania failed to penetrate the defensive strength of Senegal, as the match ended in a 1-0 loss for Mauritania.

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This win is equally encouraging for the Senegalese team and players, especially as they seek to sustain the good performance in the rest of the campaigns for qualification. After this, they have topped the Group B table, and this will set up an entailing duel with Sudan in the next match. The Lions will be keen to emulate the performance and replicate the victory in subsequent games in a quest to clinch the 2026 World Cup qualification.