Three Stars, One Victory: Senegal's Trio Seal a 3-0 AFCON Opener vs Botswana
23 December 2025
The Senegalese trio Kalidou Koulibaly, Sadio Mane, and Edouard Mendy anchored the team's opener in the Africa Cup of Nations as Senegal beat Botswana 3-0. Koulibaly and Mendy played the full 90 minutes, while Mane featured for 78 minutes, helping drive a controlled, convincing victory.
Koulibaly stood as a rock at the back, and Mendy delivered a dependable display in goal, keeping a clean sheet despite a few tense moments. Mane provided ongoing pressure up front, keeping Botswana on their toes and contributing to the scoring horizon.
Koulibaly: a rock at the back
Koulibaly produced a commanding defensive performance, earning a 7.4 rating on Sofascore for frustrating Botswana’s counters and stabilizing the build-up play. He helped snuff out danger and then joined the counter from the defense when possible.
His leadership solidified Senegal’s shape and aided the team in controlling large portions of the match.
Mendy: clean sheets, but a wobbly start
Mendy did not face heavy testing, yet he demonstrated authority when called upon. He preserved the shutout, though there were moments that could have been sharper, including a late-headed chance for Botswana that nearly bent past him.
He finished with a respectable 6.7 rating, and while Botswana’s keeper was rated 10/10 for a string of impressive saves, Mendy’s presence contributed to the dominant defensive display.
Mane: several attempts, missed chances
Mane offered multiple efforts, including two clear-cut chances that went awry, helping push his performance to a 6.9 rating. He registered 9 shots, 6 on target, with 3 blocked, and posted a remarkable 96% pass accuracy (25/26). He also lost the ball nine times but completed two successful dribbles.
Overall, Mane’s activity helped Senegal stay threatening throughout the match, even if not all chances found the net.
Final note: If football were a puzzle, Koulibaly would be the piece that fits perfectly every time, and Mane’s misses would be the jokes your friends tell after a few laughs—they still tell the story with a smile.
Punchline 1: If defense were a haircut, Koulibaly would never need a trim—he’s built to block every corner. Punchline 2: Mane’s misses are style statements; the ball clearly knows its own fashion sense.
