AS Mande defeats Dakar Sacré-Cœur to secure place in TotalEnergies CAF WCL
São Vicente, Cape Verde (PANA) - AS Mandé of Mali beat Dakar Sacré-Cœur of Senegal 4-0 on Friday, in São Vicente to qualify for the first TotalEnergies CAF Women's Champions League.
AS Mandé, who knew that a victory would get them the ticket to Egypt, made their intentions clear in the first quarter of the match with goals from star players Bassira Touré, Fatoumatta Diarra and Awa Touré.
The Malian champions got off to a good start in the first three minutes, thanks to a header from Bassira Touré to break the deadlock.
The skillful little striker directed the first goal of the brilliant center of Awa Touré in the left channel.
Fatoumatta Diarra scored the double with a fierce free kick in the 17th minute.
The tournament's best player and woman of the game made a fierce effort with her right foot straight to Sacré-Cœur goalkeeper Ndeye Diop who missed it in her own goal.
Bassira doubled her score when she scored from the penalty spot in the 23rd minute after Jeannette Sagna handled the ball inside the box.
Upset by AS Mandé's first goals, the Senegalese champions struggled to settle in and were lucky not to concede another goal when Ndeye Diop refused Diarra with a plunging save from one hand to the half an hour.
Haby Balde forced AS Mandé and tournament goalkeeper, Aissatou Diallo, to stop in the 33rd minute.
The Malians negotiated the second half before adding a fourth to eliminate the Senegalese.
Awa Touré put the icing on the cake with a careful effort at point blank range four minutes from time.
Mande will represent CAF Zone West A at the inaugural CAF TotalEnergies Women's Champions League in Egypt later this year.
-0- PANA VAO 1Aug2021
