Senegal 2-0 Gambia – AFCON LIVE: Holders punish their 10-man opponents with newly-wed…

OOHHHHH! That is a third goal and some way to do it!

We’ve got cramp on the left, another injury on the right. All going on.

Seck is on now for Senegal. Niakhate finally makes way.

More changes now for Gambia. Darboe and Minteh off, Ceesay and Sanyang on.

Just a few minutes remaining now.

A great chance for Jackson! A really neat pass from deep and Jackson takes a chance and shoots but Gaye is there to block again. He’s done well today.

Senegal are going to make another change. Niakhate, who has taken a knock, is surprisingly staying on. Sarr and Gueye off, Mendy and Ndiaye on.

Gambia swap Touray for Fadera.

We have a drinks break, but are now ready to get back underway.

Mane shows an impressive burst of acceleration and plays a one-two with Jakobs, but it’s more of a one-one-point-five.

An effort from Badamosi at the other end but it’s scraps, really.

Commentary is back on Sky. Nice.

Senegal are really putting pressure on for more goals now. The Sky commentator – I’m not sure who it is but let’s give them credit, it’s been a tough day – has made the point that some third place teams will qualify from their groups so it may be damage limitation.

Badamosi, the man who scored the goal that took Gambia to this tournament, is coming on, as is Barry.

Going off are Manneh and Sowe.

A couple of changes for Senegal, both Diallo making way. Ciss and Nicolas Jackson are on.

More firepower added to Senegal’s attack.

A Gambia header goes wide at the other end.

I feel like I’ve just nearly seen the most mental goal ever.

Minteh drills it across his own box after dispossessing Mane but Diallo is there. Luckily for the Gambia defender he was almost too close to his own goal and his goalkeeper gathers.

And that, I would imagine, is the game.

Sarr is the creator, feeding Camara as he runs into the right side of the area.

It’s a tough angle, but he gets his shot away, firing across Gaye and into the back of the net to give his side a two-goal cushion.

Oh, that is a golden chance for Gambia. Barrow shoots from distance and Mendy parries. It’s out to I think Sowe, who shoots off balanced, but he skies it.

They’re not going to get many better chances that that.

Oh my God we are back. Everyone stay calm

Still no commentary but the feed is there.

Thank you for your service, Alasdair.

We are back underway for the second half!

The feed is still down but reporters in the ground are doing their best to keep people updated. Long live Alasdair.

Here are a couple of chances for Senegal before the break from beIN Sports. A satellite issue, they report.

And when the internet gets hold of something, it will do what it does.

Here are some more snaps from the first half.

Sky Sports News presenter Vicky Gomersall has given an update, stating: ‘We are having a few technical issues with this game but we’ll get it back to you as soon as we can.’

We’ll see what the second half brings I guess.

Well I can tell you is that it is now half time.

Senegal pushed for a second – as I’m led to believe by my new mate Alasdair – but it’s still just the one at the break.

Pape Gueye with the goal, but Gambia have certainly had their chances, and I was going to say that if the rest of the tourament so far is anything to go by then this one is far from over.

That was until the red card just before the break.

We have our first red card of the tournament.

Ebou Adams has been sent off for Gambia moments before the break.

It was a studs-up challenge and the referee makes the decision after a VAR check.

Gambia’s task just got a whole lot harder.

Sky Sports’ football channel has changed their coverage to an interview with Chris Hughton.

He’s wearign a Brighton training kit so it’s probably from about 45 years ago but feels relevant with him as Ghana manager.

Main Event have gone to Sky Sports News, I believe.

I think we’re having a VAR check for a red card…

Freelance journalist Alasdair Howorth is proving to be an absolute life saver over on X.

‘Welcome to the new live feed,’ he’s posted. Too right.

Senegal have gone close to a second. They’ve definitely been on top here, but nerves I imagine will increase the longer the score stays the same.

Here are some more pictures of the fantastic fans inside the ground.

I wonder if they realise they’re in a select group of people that can actually see what’s going on.

Probably not. They look like they’re in their own worlds and absolutely loving it.

At least it’s going down well with the viewers…

Sounds like it’s an issue with the world feed.

At least this bunch can see the action.

Senegal supporters are some of the best in the world and they are making themselves loud and proud today, with their team winning on the field too.

I’m led to believe that there’s around 35 minutes gone and the players have just had a drinks break.

So far today we’ve had anthems cut out and now the coverage has too.

I’m not sure if the two are related but it seems the world are in blackout right now. Unless you’re in the ground you probably don’t know what’s happening.

Another good chance for Senegal as a free header from a corner goes just wide.

In other news, Sky’s coverage has gone down. I’d love to tell you what’s going on but I don’t have a clue.

Believe it or not, I’m not physcially in the Ivory Coast to cover this one.

Andre Onana, fresh from playing in Manchester Uniteds’ 2-2 draw with Tottenham yesterday, has arrived in Yamoussoukro ahead of Cameroon vs Guinea tonight.

Time will tell if he plays. I think he’ll at least be on the bench.

Mane tries to go on a bit of a run and tries to play a one-two but there’s little success, before the former Liverpool man overhits a pass meant for Jakobs.

Senegal are probing here. There are more goals in this for them.

Gambia are starting to enjoy a little bit more possession now and win a free kick on the edge of the box.

The referee isn’t happy about something but eventually the free kick is taken. Barrow takes, right-footed, but hits the side netting.

A few decent efforts for Gambia now.

Senegal go close again through Habib Diallo.

Good work down the right and the angle is tight, but he tries to squeeze it in – think Bernardo Silva’s goal against Newcastle at the weekend.

Abdou Diallo is booked for a nasty-looking challenge on Adams in the middle of the pitch.

Well that didn’t take long.

I was about to say the favourites had gone close with a cross from a short corner, but before I could finish the sentence Pape Gueye puts senegal ahead.

Mane picks up the assist, showing good composure on the edge of the box to pick out his team-mate to slot home.

It felt like all of Gambia’s players were in the six-yard box. He has so much time.

He celebrates with the bench and the rest of his team and Senegal lead.

Senegal try and work the ball down the left and win a corner. They go short, and… WAIT! GOAL!

Early possession for Senegal, with it looking like the pattern of play will be Gambiasitting in their shape.

Koulibaly gives away an early foul however and Mendy is called into action at the other end. A dupping effort from Manneh is straight at him, but he opts to punch away.

The first whistle is blown and we are underway in Yamoussoukro.

I think Senegal’s national anthem may have just cut out towards the end… Nonetheless, the players and coaches carried on singing, hands across their chests.

It cut out for Gambia’s too I think. Anyway, kick off is on the way…

The teams are on their ways out to the field, led out by Kopuliaby and Colley.

Kick off is just moments away now. The stadium isn’t the fullest to be fair, but fans have been singing inside the ground as if the game has been underway for the last hour.

The players have warmed up and will be out in a matter of moments.

Fans are eagerly awaiting kick off at the Stade Charles Konan Banny de Yamoussoukro, which is in around 10 minutes.

The ground, named after former Ivory Coast prime minister Charles Konan Banny, holds 20,000 fans and opened in 2022. It will host all Group C games – bar one.

There’s a great atmosphere building in the ground.

Senegal are one of the favourties to win the tournament next month – up there with Morocco and Ivory Coast – but head coach Aliou Cisse isn’t worrying about the expectations on his side.

The pressure that exists is a positive pressure which motivates us to win, but I have a lot of experience becuase I will have my fourth experience with Senegal as a coach during AFCON

More photos of Mane’s wedding day emerged on Wednesday last week.

The pair married on January 7 in a private ceremony, making their relationship public after tying the knot.

The Senegal star was introduced to Aisha after his agent met her construction boss father.

In news that broke this morning, Ghana manager Chris Hughton was reportedly attacked by a crazed fan at the team hotel following his side’s defeat yesterday.

The Black Stars would suffer heartache in the second minute of injury time after a defensive mix-up would see Cape Verde’s Garry Rodrigues slide the ball past Richard Ofori in goal to seal the victory.

The fan is said to have been arrested, while Vvdeos have also emerged online showing fans inside the Stade Felix Houphouet Boigny in Abidijan venting their frustrations at the result while gesticulating in anger.

So newly-wed Mane starts for Senegal today, and will likely be their talisman as they look to kick their AFCON campaign off with a bang.

Also starting are former Chelsea duo Edouard Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly and Nottingham Forest’s Moussa Niakhate.

The bench includes Everton’s Idrissa Gueye, Forest’s Cheikhou Kouyate, Tottenham’s Pape Sarr and Chelse foward Nicolas Jackson.

The teams are in for today’s game – whick kicks off at 2pm GMT – and they are as follows…

Senegal: Mendy, Diatta, Koulibaly, Niakhate, Diallo, Jakobs, Gueye, Camara, Sarr, Diallo, Mane.

Gambia: Gaye, Janko, Colley, Gomez, Touray, Adams, Manneh, Darboe, Minteh, Sowe, Barrow.

The 2024 edition of the African Cup of Nations kicked off with hosts Ivory Coast securing a routine victory over Guinea-Bissau, winning 2-0.

We’ll see if there’s another upset today, but Senegal are heavy favourites.

While we wait for team news, let’s just have a little re-cap of what Sadio Mane has been up to over the last few weeks.

The former Liverpool star married Aisha Tamba in an Islamic ceremony on January 7 in Keur Massar, a suburb in the capital city of Dakar, just six days before the start of the Africa Cup of Nations on January 13.

Tamba;s father, Amadou Tamba, has revealed this his daughter is 18, and that Mane, 31, first set eyes on her ‘more than two years ago’ when she went to visit his family with her mother.

The pair have been unable to have their honeymoon due to AFCON, with Tamba receiving a hero’s welcome when she returned to school last week.

Read more about that below…

Good afternoon one and all and welcome to Mail Sport’s live coverage of Senegal vs Gambia in the African Cup of Nations.

It’s the defending champions’ first game of the tournament and they will be looking to start on a high following some already indifferent scores in the competition.

It will also be Sadio Mane’s first game since he married Aisha Tamba just before the tournament kicked off.