Samba-Diallo-SenegalU20

Senegal star Samba Diallo says sticking to the plans of the coach helped them to defeat giants Nigeria in their opening match of the TotalEnergies U20 Africa Cup of Nations.

The Cubs edged the Flying Eagles 1-0 at the Cairo International Stadium on Sunday to go top of Group A of the tournament being played in Egypt.

The three-time runners-up needed a first-half close range effort from Soulaymane Faye to kick start their campaign on a bright note.

Captain Diallo was instrumental in the Senegal victory as his sterling performance was rewarded with the TotalEnergies Man of the Match award.

"We did everything to win today and get the three points,” Diallo said after receiving his award following the win over Nigeria.

“We respect everyone, but we will fight in every game to stay commpetitive in the competition.

The midfielder, who plays for Ukrainian side Dinamo Kiev, says his team stuck to the coach’s game plan before reaffirming Senegal’s title ambitions.

"We carried out the coach's instructions and adhered to the plan, and the result was that we succeeded in winning the match.

“We are a distinguished team and we will continue to do everything we can to win the title.”