Friendly: Senegal punishes Kenya, Burkina breezes past Benin
With notably a quadruple from Sadio Mané, Senegal thrashed Kenya this Tuesday in a friendly match. Traveling to Rabat in Morocco, the Cheetahs of Benin were beaten by the Stallions of Burkina Faso.
Les Guépards du Bénin posent pour une rencontre officielle
Benin faced Burkina Faso this Tuesday in Rabat, Morocco, as part of the November international break. An important match for the Cheetahs who likely played their final test before the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations starting in a few weeks. But unfortunately for Gernot Rohr’s men, victory did not materialize. On the contrary, Steve Mounié’s side was crushed by the Stallions, who were dominant both offensively and defensively.
Aided by an imprecise Beninese defense, the Burkinabè opened the scoring before the half-hour mark through Georgi Minoungou (26′, 0-1). Impressive, the Stallion would complete a brace before the break, after once again humiliating the opposing defense (45+1′, 0-2). Stunned, the Beninese tried to react, with a few fruitless chances after the restart. Late in the match, Burkina Faso made it 3-0 to the delight of their supporters.
With this result, the Cheetahs will have to roll up their sleeves before the start of the Africa Cup of Nations in a month. Drawn in Group D of AFCON 2025, the Cheetahs will begin their campaign on 23 December against DR Congo before facing Botswana on 27 December and then Senegal on 30 December.
Senegal thrashes Kenya
In the other match on Tuesday, Senegal calmly ran riot against Kenya. The Teranga Lions put on an offensive masterclass, outclassing their opponents in a one-sided 8-0 rout. The first half, finished with a six-goal lead, highlighted the vast gap between the two teams, both in impact and technical control. Constant pressing, lightning transitions and deadly efficiency: Senegal rolled on without ever easing off the pressure.
Sadio Mané, an exemplary captain and the spearhead of Senegal’s attack, once again lit up the match. Scoring four times, including a gem in the 34th minute, the forward reminded everyone he remains one of the continent’s most decisive players. With this crushing win, the Lions send a clear message: a team confident in its strength, ambitious and perfectly poised for AFCON 2025. Their rivals have been warned!