JOHANNESBURG: The highlight of Group D at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco promises to be the showdown between two former champions, Senegal and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
They met just two months ago in a World Cup qualifier with the Senegalese coming from two goals behind to snatch a 3-2 victory through a Pape Matar Sarr goal.
Victory led to Senegal qualifying for a third straight World Cup while DR Congo will face Jamaica or New Caledonia in March with a ticket to the global showcase on the line.
While DR Congo hope to atone for the Kinshasa loss, the stage is set for a cameo to relish on December 27 in Tangier between Senegal striker Sadio Mane and DR Congo center-back Chancel Mbemba.
Mane may be less in the media limelight since exchanging Liverpool and Bayern Munich for Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Nassr two years ago.
But last month in Turkiye he issued a reminder that his predatory instincts remain, scoring a hat-trick as Senegal crushed Kenya 8-0 in a warm-up for the AFCON.
Mane has already scaled the African football summit, converting the decisive penalty to give the Teranga Lions a shootout victory over Egypt in the 2022 final in Yaounde.
Three years earlier, Mane featured in another AFCON final. However, he had to settle for a silver medal as an early goal from Algeria proved the only one of the title decider in Cairo.
Senegal disappointed at the most recent AFCON, early last year in the Ivory Coast. After winning all three group matches they lost on penalties to the host nation in a last-16 clash.
Long-serving coach Aliou Cisse did not have his contract renewed and another former national team star, Pape Thiaw, has proved a successful replacement.
- Crucial contributions -
A friendly loss to record five-time World Cup champions Brazil last month was his first setback after 10 victories and two draws. Trouncing Kenya three days later upped the win count.
Mbemba recently celebrated representing his country 100 times with two crucial contributions as DR Congo seek a return to the World Cup for the first time since 1974.
In African play-offs among the best four group runners-up, Mbemba snatched the late goal that sank Cameroon 1-0 in a semifinal in Morocco.
When the final against Nigeria finished 1-1 after extra time in Rabat, a shootout ensued and the penalty that separated the teams was calmly converted by Mbemba.
The professional career of the 31-year-old began in Belgium with Anderlecht. He then had spells with Newcastle United, Porto and Marseille before joining Lille.
While 33-year-old Mane hopes to add to his 51 goals for Senegal, Mbemba will be determined to shackle the two-time African player of the year.
Much of the credit for the resurgence of DR Congo goes to French coach Sebastien Desabre, a 49-year-old whose first African assignment was with Ivorian club ASEC Mimosas.
He then coached clubs in Cameroon, Tunisia, Angola, Algeria, Morocco and Egypt, and spent two years in charge of Uganda, taking them to an AFCON for the first time in 41 years.
“Our first objective is to get out of Group D. Benin, Botswana and Senegal are strong teams. It will not be easy,” Desabre told the Congolese media.
“Qualifying for the World Cup intercontinental play-offs by eliminating Cameroon and Nigeria proved we are progressing.
“I predict a bright future for the Leopards, provided we continue learning. Eliminating Nigeria was fantastic, but that result is history now.”
Benin have shown consistent improvement under German Gernot Rohr, who previously coached Gabon, Niger and Nigeria at AFCONs. They will be captained by veteran striker Steve Mounie.
Coached by South African Morena Ramoreboli, Botswana are the lowest ranked of the 24 participants. They lost all three matches in their AFCON debut 13 years ago and will do well to avoid a similar fate.
Mane v Mbemba: An AFCON cameo to relish in Morocco
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Mane v Mbemba: An AFCON cameo to relish in Morocco
- Mane has already scaled the African football summit, converting the decisive penalty to give the Teranga Lions a shootout victory over Egypt in the 2022 final in Yaounde
- Mbemba recently celebrated representing his country 100 times with two crucial contributions
Lowry and Elvira share halfway lead at Dubai Invitational
- Irishman Lowry began the day 3 shots behind Grand Slam champion Rory McIlroy before finishing with 68
DUBAI: Shane Lowry and Nacho Elvira both produced brilliant rounds of 68 in windy conditions to earn a two-shot lead at the 2026 Dubai Invitational.
The Irishman began the day three shots behind good friend and Grand Slam champion Rory McIlroy, but some stunning iron play and clutch putting saw him overhaul his playing partner.
Lowry is aiming to secure his first DP World Tour title since winning the 2022 BMW PGA Championship and he showcased his quality with five birdies and two bogeys.
Spaniard Elvira surged into contention thanks to four birdies in his final six holes for a matching 68 — the best rounds of the day — to set the clubhouse target of five under.
Having been joined at the summit of the leaderboard earlier in the day, McIlroy regained his one-shot advantage when he birdied the third to reach six under.
That lead was briefly extended to two when Antoine Rozner’s early birdie burst was offset by a double bogey, but McIlroy dropped a shot at the sixth.
A skewed chip left a difficult par putt for McIlroy to save par at the ninth and when it slid by, he was in a two-way tie for the lead at four under.
In the group ahead, Lawrence carded back-to-back birdies at the fourth and fifth — the latter with a sumptuous hole-out from the bunker — to join that mark.
Lowry opened with birdie-birdie for the second day running and despite a bogey at the fifth, he picked up the shot at the very next hole. A bogey at the ninth saw him slip back one, but he responded immediately with a lovely birdie putt at the 10th to rejoin the lead.
None of the trio could jump ahead on their own as they reached the turn, which saw Armitage increase the leadership group to four.
The Englishman, who started on the back nine, mixed two birdies and two bogeys during his front nine and then picked up shots at the second and fourth to reach the summit.
However, by the time McIlroy and Lowry finished the 14th hole, the latter was in the sole lead.
Lawrence had bogeyed the same par-three hole, Armitage dropped a shot at the ninth — his last — and McIlroy found the water at the 14th as the trio slipped back to three under.
That left Lowry on his own at the top. He was briefly joined by Elvira and McIlroy when the latter rolled in a 46-foot putt at the 16th for birdie, but Lowry followed suit from 31 feet to maintain his one-shot lead at five under.
McIlroy found the water for the fourth time at the 17th as he finished with back-to-back bogeys to sit three behind the joint leaders.
“Very happy (with the round),” said Lowry. “It was hard. It was tricky. You know, like that putt on the last hole, you don’t hole a lot of putts like that, and I did well. I did a good job. A couple sloppy mistakes on the front nine, but I was playing good and giving myself chances.
“I just had a great day out there. I really enjoyed it. I had a great group. Two great amateurs, and playing golf in a good frame of mind makes it a little bit easier. That’s sort of a little lesson for me for the rest season. If I play golf like that for the rest season in that frame of mind, I’ll be pretty good.”
Elvira had carded three bogeys and two birdies during his first 12 holes, but his birdie blitz to complete his second round propelled into the share of the lead with Lowry.
“I feel like off the tee I hit it really well,” said Elvira. “That’s something I struggled with in the past, and we made a couple changes, and I think it’s paying off. So, I’m very happy with the way I’m hitting it off the tee. It’s putting me in good positions to take advantage.”
Armitage and Spain’s David Puig were tied for third at three under, while McIlroy, Lawrence, Rozner and Spain’s Angel Ayora were one shot further back at two under.
American Ryggs Johnston recorded the first hole-in-one of 2026 when he aced the 218-yard par-three eighth with a six iron.
In the team competition, Jimmy Dunne, who was paired with Lowry, leads the way on 12 under, one stroke ahead of Greg Mondre and Dante Jimenez.
