Jorge Enriquez celebrating Mexico’s opener. Photo: Matthias Schrader / AP
With Egypt exiting from the tournament in the noon kick-off, Senegal were left as the solitary flag-bearers for Africa in the clash against CONCACAF U-23 champions Mexico. As they lined up in the tunnel you could have been excused for thinking it was a senior team against an academy, such was the disequilibrium of the physical attributes between the two sides: Senegal omnipresent with the imposing West African physique; Mexico more in harmony with the tika-taka-esque, diminutive stature that we have come to associate with the Spain national team. Mexico were leading 2-0 just past the hour and it looked like it was all over, but Senegal dramatically equalised in a frantic seven minutes to take the game to extra-time in a thoroughly enchanting game. Ultimately, it was two horrific errors by Papa Gueye and Abdoulaye Ba, archetypal African naivety, which were the locks in the cage for the Teranga Lions. Here is what we learned:
