Sadio Mane on target as Senegal ease past Tunisia

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Sadio Mane was on target for Senegal as they won their opening game in the Africa Cup of Nations 2-0 against Tunisia.

Tunisia produced an excellent performance, missing a ridiculous amount of chances, but still lost to Senegal, who top Group B; Tunisia are bottom, with Zimbabwe and Algeria in between.

Tunisia started the game very well, Ahmed Akaichi missing a free header from a free-kick after just two minutes. But then on nine minutes Senegal's star man Sadio Mane rolled a ball down the line for Cheikhou Kouyate and centre-back Aymen Abdennour needlessly brought him down, and Mane swept the penalty home.

Senegal's forward Sadio Mane celebrates after scoring a goal during the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations group B football match between Tunisia and Senegal in Franceville on January 15, 2017.

There was time for Akaichi to miss another superb opportunity before Senegal doubled their advantage on the half-hour, Mbodji Kara thundering a header past Aymen Mathlouthi direct from Balde Keita's corner.

That looked like game over, and it was - but not in the way anyone expected. Tunisia totally dominated the second half, spurning ever more chances - Akaichi in particular - and well though Abdoulaye Diallo kept goal, he

ought not to have sniffed the majority of the saves he made.

So though credit must go to Tunisia, not just for how well they played but for how well they stuck at it, but it made little difference at full-time; they are now fighting to stay in the tournament, while Senegal became its first match winners.

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