Eniola Olatunji reporting.
#CAFU20Egpyt2023.
Substitute Paul Mara of debutante Young Bright Stars of South Sudan caused a scare for former CAF U20 champions, Red Devils of Congo when he scored the first goal ever for South Sudan 83rd minute from an assist from Abishai at the Suez Canal Stadium, Egypt that made the debutante intoxicated for an equalizer.
Congo who were champions in 2007 took 45 minutes of play to score South Sudan through Deo Bassinga who pounced on Monbadza assist before Sousou Ilendo converted a penalty at 63rd minute.
Beautiful Centre Referee, 35-year-old Moroccan lady, Bouchra Karboubi who officiated the women’s match between Nigeria versus South Africa in Lagos on 4th July 2022 where Nigeria lost 1-2 probably distracted the South Sudan players with her beauty as the players kept roving around her to protest almost every blow of the whistle. The South Sudan Captain bagged a yellow for going too near her to protest the penalty awarded Congo,
Charming Karboubi threw into the trash can an earlier equalizer in the 66th minute as she ruled it offside despite the trademark protest from the Bright Boys.
The shots on target were 6 to Congo – 3 to South Sudan; the match was rough witnessing 22 foul plays from Sudan and 13 from Congo; 3 yellow cards to Sudan and one to Congo but the Sudanese were quick to detonate the 8 corner kicks awarded Congo making no advantage of the 3 they were awarded.
Thus Group B table on the first matches show that Congo and Uganda top with 3 pints each whie South Sudan and Central African Republic have no point.
South Sudan is meeting Central African Republic in the next group Match at1500 hours on Thursday while Congo and Uganda will played each other at 1800 hours n the same day.
On Monday, The Flying Eagles of Nigeria lost to Senegal by a lone goal while hosts Egypt played goalless with Mozambique.
On Tuesday, two matches will be played in group C; Gambia will lock horns with Tunisia at 1500 hours before Junior Squirrels of Republic of Benin will attempt a jump over the Zambian junior team at 1800 hours.
