Historic AFCON Feat: Botswana’s Keeper Stands Tall in a 0-3 Loss to Senegal
23 December 2025
Historic feat amid a 0-3 defeat
Gatsiyoni Foku, Botswana’s goalkeeper, delivered a striking historic feat in the Africa Cup of Nations, even as his side were beaten 3-0 by Senegal in the tournament opener.
Yet he faced 14 saves, nine of them from inside the box, as Senegal peppered the Botswana goal and dominated the match at Ibn Batouta Stadium in Tangier, in the group’s opening game.
The scoreline read 0-3, but Foku’s performance earned full marks from SofaScore, giving him a 10/10 rating for the match.
His 14 saves, including nine from inside the box, marked the most a goalkeeper has made in a single AFCON game since the data-collection era began in 2017.
The Botswana shot-stopper, whose goal was breached three times, stood out against Senegal’s attack and helped his side avoid a more lopsided result, as Sadio Mane’s teammates fired 28 shots, 17 of them on target.
SofaScore noted that no goalkeeper had ever faced 10 saves in a single AFCON match in the same era.
Foku, who plays for Jwaneng Galaxy in Botswana, is the second player to earn a perfect rating in AFCON history, after Egypt’s Mohamed Abu Jabal in the 2021 final against Senegal.
Back then, Abu Jabal saved eight shots, six from inside the area, and even stopped a penalty, but Egypt lost the title to Senegal on penalties 4-2.
It’s funny that both goalkeepers share the same position, so no one else has earned a perfect rating.
Both keepers shone against the Senegalese attack, known for its ruthless forward line.
Senegal sealed the win with a Nicolas Jackson brace in the 40th and 58th minutes, while Sherif Ndiaye added a late goal in the 90th.
Punchline: If keeping a clean sheet was a sport, his saves would be a career mode cheat code.
Punchline 2: The only thing more dramatic than this performance is a striker trying to explain the offside rule.
