Pape Demba Diop’s header at the Estadio Unico Diego Armando Maradona on Wednesday night helped Senegal salvage a 1-1 draw against Israel in their second game of the 2023 FIFA Under-20 World Cup.
Full-time in our first two games of the day ⏱️#U20WC
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) May 24, 2023
The African champions lost their first game to Japan last Sunday and were looking to bounce back by securing all three points against their European opponents, but the match did not get off to a good start as defender Babacar Ndiaye turned the ball into his own net two minutes before the hour mark.
Diop, who won the Golden Boot at the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt in February, drew the Young Teranga Lions level with a thumping header in the 80th minute following a cross from 16-year-old Mamadou Gning.
The goal, which was Diop and Senegal’s first of the tournamnet, helps Malick Daf’s boys keep their hopes of qualification alive as they are currently bottom of Group C with one point from two games with a negative goal difference.
They will face Colombia in their final group stage game on Saturday, May 27, at 10 p.m. WAT in La Plata, and a win might help them secure qualification to the knockout rounds as one of the best third-placed teams.
