Burkina Faso and South Africa kicked off their TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations(Afcon) campaigns with impressive victories on Monday, securing crucial three points in Group B.
Former champions Burkina Faso started strong with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Cameroon in Morocco.
Star forward Asharaf Tapsoba stole the show with a stunning brace, continuing his fine form from the WAFU B qualifiers, where he scored twice in the final against Côte d’Ivoire.
Tapsoba wasted no time in making an impact, opening the scoring in the 19th minute to give his side the lead. He struck again in the 41st minute, securing a two-goal cushion before halftime.
Burkina Faso U17 team. Photo Credit: WAFU B
South Africa Triumph in 7-Goal Thriller Against Egypt
In one of the most dramatic matches of the tournament so far, South Africa edged Egypt 4-3 in a rollercoaster encounter at Stade Larbi Zaouli in Casablanca.
The match exploded into life immediately, with Simphiwe Mlondo scoring for South Africa in the first minute. However, Egypt hit back quickly, equalizing through Anas Roshdi, who later added a second, alongside a goal from Hamza Abdel Karim, putting the Pharaohs 3-1 up in just 20 minutes.
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But South Africa fought back before halftime, with Neo Bohloko converting two penalties to bring the score level at 3-3.
South Africa U17 team. Photo Credit: SABC
The second half remained tense, but it was Emile Witbooi’s 71st-minute strike that secured victory for Amajimbos.
Egypt’s frustrations were compounded in stoppage time when Omar Abdel Aziz received a red card after a VAR review.
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With these results, Burkina Faso and South Africa sit atop Group B with three points each.
Next Matches:
South Africa vs Cameroon – Thursday
Burkina Faso vs Egypt – Thursday
