Senegal Draw Mauritania in WAFU Zone A U20 Tournament in Mali

Senegal have been drawn in Group B of the WAFU Zone A U20 tournament, where they will face Mauritania, Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau. The competition will take place in Mali from October 15 to 31, with the draw completed on Thursday, October 1, in the host country. The eight participating nations have been divided into two groups of four.

The Senegalese under-20 team enter the tournament as defending champions after winning the previous edition in Liberia in 2024. Their status placed them among the seeded teams for the draw. Under coach Malick Daf, the Lionceaux will now begin a campaign that combines the defence of their regional title with the wider objective of reaching the next stage of the African youth football pathway.

Group B brings together four teams with different recent regional ambitions. Senegal will face Mauritania, Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau in the group phase, with the two leading teams advancing to the semi-finals. The format leaves each side with three matches to secure one of the two qualifying positions, making every fixture important before the knockout rounds.

The other group contains Mali, Guinea, Liberia and The Gambia. Mali are both the host nation and the second seeded team, while Liberia will return to the competition after staging the 2024 edition won by Senegal. The group-stage split places the two seeded teams in separate sections and keeps open the possibility of a semi-final meeting between Senegal and one of the leading teams from Group A.

The tournament also carries significance beyond the regional title. It serves as a qualifier for the Africa Cup of Nations Under-20, scheduled to be held in Ghana in 2027. Senegal’s route to that continental competition therefore begins in Mali, where progress through the group stage will be required before the team can pursue the regional championship and its African qualification objective.

Senegal are continuing their preparations with a double friendly against the Democratic Republic of Congo. The two matches are scheduled for October 1 and October 4 at the Leopold Sedar Senghor Stadium. They give Daf’s staff two opportunities to assess the squad and complete preparations before the delegation travels to Mali for the opening tournament fixtures.

The timing of the friendlies places the final preparation period directly alongside the draw and the start of the competition month. The first meeting with the Democratic Republic of Congo comes on the same date as the draw, while the second follows three days later. The remaining days before October 15 will allow the coaching staff to work with the group selected for the regional campaign and address the details exposed during those matches.

For Senegal, the Group B draw defines a clear first test of their title defence. The Lionceaux must negotiate three group matches against Mauritania, Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau before the semi-finals become available. The October tournament will also show whether the 2024 champions can remain at the centre of the UFOA-A youth competition while pursuing a place on the road to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations Under-20 in Ghana.