Well, well, well. Tunisia were rather brilliant at times, but truly awful in front of goal. Senegal sat back and basked in their two-goal lead and on another day would’ve been punished for a pretty ordinary display. But it’s Senegal that prosper and regardless of this performance, they’ll go into Thursday’s match against Zimbabwe with confidence. Next up for Tunisia are north African neighbours Algeria, also on Thursday.
That’s all from myself. Thanks for your company, emails and tweets. Bye!
Updated
Full-time: Tunisia 0-2 Senegal
It’s all over in Franceville. Two first-half goals win for Senegal, with Sadio Mané’s penalty and Kara Mbodji’s header sending Aliou Cissé’s side top of Group B at this early stage. It could have been very different had Tunisia taken just one of their – what felt like – hundreds of chances in front of goal.
Updated
90+3: Naguez puts in a decent cross from the byline on the right flank but Khenessi, the Tunisia substitute, sees it awkwardly cannon off a combination of his head, neck and shoulder and it’s wide. That just about sums up Tunisia tonight – they’ve played some sterling stuff at times.
Updated
90+1 min: It’s a bit of neat keep-ball now for Senegal, after Sassi fouls Saivet, the Senegal substitute, in frustration.
90 min: There will be four added minutes in Franceville.
Updated
89 min: Senegal gift Tunisia back possession on the half-way line but when Sliti plays in Msakni, he’s flagged offside. That’s an agonisingly close call. Double drat. That was some lovely football.
86 min: Msakni flicks the ball beautifully back to Khenessi but he, like every other Tunisia player this evening, fluffs his lines. Meanwhile, Mané is fouled and Senegal will just be hoping to see this game out now after a relatively poor second-half display.
Cheikh Kouyaté, Senegal’s captain, is substituted and replaced by Diop. Not Papa Bouba Diop but rather Papakouli Diop.
84 min: Msakni again comes alive after a neat through ball by Naguez but Koulibaly clears. Both teams have one substitution left in the can. Can either manager make an impact with a final roll of the dice?
Updated
82 min: Diallo smothers another low shot from Msakni. The Senegal keeper has more than played his part at keeping Tunisia out here. And his post saved Kara’s sliced clearance from rippling the net.
79 min: Henryk Kasperczak must be dusting down his age-old shooting drills for tomorrow’s training session after this. Tunisia, simply, have missed so many chances. Up the other end, Mané sprints with the ball and it’s 3 v 1 but his pass sees Sarr given offside. Into the final 10 minutes we go.
77 min: Msakni sees another of his efforts kept out by Diallo. Tunisia get the ball wide and the striker shoots low but it’s directly at the Senegal goalkeeper, who clears. Abdennour, guilty of giving away the first-half penalty, then does brilliantly to snuff out the ball from Sarr on the counterattack.
76 min: Aliou Cissé is barking out instructions on the touchline and he looks truly baffled at his side’s second-half display. Or perhaps arrogance. It must be said, barring his penalty and almost gifting Tunisia a shot at goal, Mané has been incredibly quiet.
75 min: Khazri then has a free-kick from the left but it’s pretty poor and straight down Diallo’s throat. Senegal look tired and flat, while Tunisia are still trying, so very hard too.
73 min: Diallo does not communicate properly with Gassama, and confusion at the back allows Tunisia a glimpse at goal. Khazri shoots wide before Lahmar shoots, er, even wider wide.
70 min: Msakni this time squanders a huge chance! A free header goes begging from a Tunisia corner. He’s got his head on his hands. Quite how Tunisia are yet to register a goal this evening is amazing. But goodness gracious me, they’ve been wasteful in front of goal. Regardless, Tunisia should not be two goals down here.
Meanwhile, Senegal make another change with Newcastle striker Saivet replacing Ndiaye, who high-fives his team-mates on the bench. In the other dugout, the 70-year-old Kasperczak, Tunisia’s coach, is pulling his hair out.
68 min: Kara very, very nearly scores an own goal! And what a goal that would have been too. Sliti surges towards goal and his blocked effort lands at the feet of Kara, who scored Senegal’s second, and he duly slices the ball towards his own goalnet. It crashed off the inside of the post and somehow away from goal. Poor old Henryk Kasperczak, Tunisia’s Polish coach, cannot quite believe it.
67 min: Senegal try to put their foot on the ball, in a bid to take the sting out of the game. Just as I say that, Senegal gift the ball back to the opposition. Tunisia have been pretty relentless for much of this second half.
65 min: Khazri fires low and, only just, wide from outside the box after clever play by Sassi. The Sunderland forward puts his thumbs up and there’s a big grin to match, but Tunisia still trail by two goals.
63 min: Lahmar’s free-kick is powered straight into the wall. And Senegal go straight up the other end, with Sarr on the counterattack and he ends up hitting the bar with a cross-cum-shot. What an introduction that would’ve been. Tunisia have made a change amongst all that too, with Akaichi subbed. Taha Khenessi replaces him.
61 min: A bonkers couple of minutes in Franceville, and how the ruddy nora are Tunisia yet to score themselves? Meanwhile, Sarr, of Metz, replaces Balde for Senegal. They need to do something to seize back control of this contest. Tunisia, meanwhile, win another free-kick right on the edge of the box through Msakni ...
Updated
59 min: Maaloul creates danger, looping a ball into the box after some neat buildup play on the edge of the box. Tunisia garner a corner of it, and their players, notably Khazri, end up appealing for a goal. Where’s goal-line technology when you need it?
The ball is whipped in from the corner, and the ball cannons off Diallo’s knee and away from goal. It may very well of gone over the line, though.
Tunisia then follow that up with more fine attacking play, only for Akaichi to totally forget to allow his head to make contact with the ball.
57 min: Msakni has a sight of goal but it’s a terribly tame finish. Diallo averts the danger before Tunisia break again through Akaichi, who can only drive at the legs of the Senegal keeper. Two half-chances squandered for Tunisia.
56 min: Tunisia cannot be faulted for their efforts: Msakni, who plays his club football in Qatar, charges onto a lost cause at the back stick, after a deep ball by Sassi. He very nearly hooks it back goalwards but the ball runs out of touch. Cheikh M’Bengue had totally given up on it.
55 min: Gassama does brilliantly to somehow the get ball out of his feet, and puts in a deep cross from the right. It falls just beyond Diouf, though, but this is a healthy, encouraging spell from Senegal after a poor start to this second period.
52 min: Plenty of action in the opening seven minutes or so of this second half. Senegal get a corner, and once more there’s plenty of aggro and bizarre goings-on between the Tunisia defenders and the Senegalese forwards. The corner is whipped in and Mame Biram Diouf, unmarked, heads wide. That was a golden opportunity.
51 min: Tunisia go up the other end and Sassi, unselfishly, picks out Khazri who’s lingering on the edge of the box and his shot bends away from goal. He looks pained as he reacts to it firing wide.
50 min: Senegal then grease the wheels and it’s Keita down the right who surges into the box. He strikes at goal but goes for power, too much of it, and it goes over. Tunisia will not mind too many of those in this half.
49 min: The corner is taken short, to the disappointment of Abdennour and Ben Youssef, who trudge back to their own half. Senegal need to get a grasp on this second half, and Tunisia, again, much like the opening half hour or so, look the better of the two teams.
48 min: Lahmar again takes the free-kick and it gets up and down over the wall but it fires just over Diallo’s goal. The Senegal keeper watches it go over. But Tunisia come again and Sassi combines with Sliti once more, who eventually feeds Akaichi. Corner-kick.
Updated
46 min: Sassi surges towards goal, his effort his blocked and Sliti is sent tumbling by Senegal’s Ndiaye. Tunisia seemingly have started this second half as they mean to go on.
The second-half is underway!
And Tunisia have made a change, with Sunderland forward Khazri replacing Azouni. Will he inspire the Carthage Eagles here?
Just before the second half gets underway, a note to say that the top three nominees for the African Player of the Year award have all already notched at this tournament. Aubameyang, Mahrez, and now Mané.
The second half is imminent, with both teams slowly making their way back onto the pitch in Franceville.
A half-time stat that counts for nothing: Tunisia had 60% of the possession in those opening 45 minutes.
Updated
Half-time: Tunisia 0-2 Senegal
Lahmar’s free-kick sails wide and at the break it’s very much Senegal who head down the tunnel the happier of the two sides. Mané got the ball rolling from the spot after a clumsy foul from Abdennour, the Valencia defender, before Kara’s crashing header doubled their lead.
Updated
45 min: Mané had a chance for his second and Senegal’s third but he cannot control Gassama’s cross. Anyway, as it stands, Senegal will top Group B at this painfully early stage, following Algeria’s earlier 2-2 draw with Zimbabwe. Just before the break, Tunisia have a free-kick 25 yards out after another dodgy Koulibaly challenge.
43 min: Senegal are going through the motions a little, and Tunisia look a little one-dimensional. There’s no Plan B available for them it seems. “Looks like Senegal are in the driving seat,” emails Steve. Indeed, Aliou Cissé will be satisfied with this first-half display so far.
41 min: Akaichi draws the foul from Koulibaly, and he joins Cheikh M’Bengue in the referee’s book. The Napoli defender appeared to lose his balance before essentially rugby tackling the forward, who has impressed so far here. The free-kick is put in swiftly but Senegal hook the ball clear.
38 min: Mané loses the ball and Msakni seizes possession inside the box, cutting inside after chesting the ball down. Before attempting to shoot, Mané gets back to distract the Tunisia forward and the legs of Koulibaly ensure danger is averted.
36 min: Cheikh M’bengue is booked for a meaty challenge on Naguez. The free-kick is wasted, and it’s Mané this time looking for a free-kick, but in vein. Senegal look rather comfortable now, although every time Akaichi’s got on the ball, Tunisia look dangerous.
35 min: Gueye runs into trouble in the shape of Sassi, but he’s forced wide by Kara. Tunisia retain possession, just inside the opposition half, before Sliti’s shot from the edge of the area signals the end of some promising play.
33 min: From the same phase of play, Tunisia get a free-kick for a soft foul. Maaloul stands over the free-kick but that’s nice and easy for Diallo in the Senegal goal. Idrissa Gueye gets things going again, putting his foot on the ball to slow things down before spreading it wide to Mané.
32 min: Akaichi does well again, driving towards the byline but Kara, the goalscorer, does well to shepherd the centre-forward away from goal. Tunisia get a corner out of it but eventually Senegal clear the ball.
31 min: A great header, but the Tunisia goalkeeper Mathlouthi will be disappointed with that. Kara, who plays for Anderlecht in Belgium, did brilliantly there to soar above his marker and plant his header into the right corner of Mathlouthi’s goal. Senegal, with half-hour gone, are seemingly in cruise control now.
GOAL! Tunisia 0-2 Senegal (Kara, 30)
A powerful header sees Senegal double their lead.
29 min: Senegal win a corner kick after a persistent run down the right by Gassama forces Maaloul to concede the set-piece. Before it’s taken the Cameroonian referee attempts to calm things down between Sassi and Mame Biram Diouf.
Updated
27 min: Much like Abdennour’s challenge earlier for the penalty, Ben Youssef makes a rash challenge on Ndiaye. Tunisia look a little short of discipline and perhaps lack the knowhow of some of Senegal’s savvy attacking trio.
26 min: The crowd whoop at Mané’s cross from the right but Mame Biram Diouf fails to connect and it’s all a fuss over nothing in the end. A moment of magic again from the Liverpool man to pick out Diouf, another of the four Premier League-based players starting for Senegal in Franceville.
23 min: Akaichi looks turbocharged at the moment, the Tunisia striker has been involved in just about everything for Kasperczak’s side. Both Gassama and Gueye are beginning to pick off passes deep in midfield and you sense their nose for danger will be very important for the rest of this match.
22 min: Idrissa Gueye snuffs out some danger and Senegal build, through M’Bengue down the left. Keita then takes over and does well to jink past one defender before overrunning the ball himself.
20 min: Mané is penalised for a foul on Msakni but Naguez is given offside and Senegal have a chance to build again. They’ve had to make do with soaking up a fair bit of Tunisia pressure.
18 min: Tunisia go again, with Lahmar doing well to hold off a couple of challenges in the middle of the park. The move comes to an abrupt end though with Msakni going over in the box. Mané’s goal from the penalty spot is still the difference at the moment.
15 min: Another great chance for Akaichi goes begging! He races in between the two Senegalese centre-backs but sends his low, powerful shot harmlessly wide. Another let-off for Senegal.
14 min: Sassi fouls Mame Biram Diouf, and he’s agitated by the referee’s decision to blow his whistle for a free-kick. Tunisia are losing their rag a little. Abdennour was booked for his tackle after chopping down Kouyaté for the penalty.
Updated
13 min: Balde Keita whips a ball in from the byline which loops over Mathlouthi but it comes to nothing. Senegal have certainly found their feet now and it seems the pace they possess might leave Tunisia most vulnerable.
11 min: Tunisia had started much the better and against the run of play, a fairly crude challenge from Abdennour of Valencia hands Senegal a free hit to kick-start their game. Mané needed no encouragement and slammed it home low, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way.
Updated
GOAL! Tunisia 0-1 Senegal (Mané, 10)
He shoots low to the left and Mathlouthi goes to the winger’s right. A brilliant spot-kick and Senegal take the lead.
8 min: Penalty to Senegal! Mané swivels away from his man neatly, to great applause from the fanatical Senegalese support. Tunisia then clear but when the ball comes back in Abdennour fouls Kouyaté.
6 min: Kara, the Senegal full-back catches Akaichi and Tunisia win a free-kick on the left flank. Akaichi, once of Ingolstadt in the Bundesliga 2. The set-piece comes to nothing but Tunisia grab back possession, which culminates in Naguez fizzing in a cross from the right. A solid start for the Carthage Eagles.
Updated
4 min: Mathlouthi, the Tunisia goalkeeper, kicks out from the back. He labelled 2016 “the best year of his life” after getting married and doing the domestic double with Étoile du Sahel. A decent tournament might top that. Meanwhile, Tunisia surge forward once more – they’ve settled very quickly.
2 min: Akaichi goes close! The Tunisia left-back whips in a beautiful left-footed free-kick and the striker’s header skims the post. Tunisia aren’t going to just roll over here.
1 min: Akaichi makes an early run in behind the Senegal defence but he’s flagged offside. Senegal’s Koulibaly gets things rolling again.
We’re underway!
Senegal take kick-off in their all-green strip. Manager Aliou Cissé takes his seat in the dugout, and my goodness he looks like a cool customer with those thick-rim glasses of his.
The national anthems have been and gone, and kick-off is imminent at Stade de Francevillle, the 22,000-capacity stadium. By the sound of it, Senegal have the lion’s share of that backing.
The teams are walking out onto the pitch in Franceville. Mané, the Liverpool winger, is the last to trudge out of the tunnel with his team-mates forming an orderly queue in front of him.
Updated
If Senegal play as good as their supporters dance then they may prove quite the side. They had a 100% record in qualifying to get here, topping their group by a whacking great big 12 points.
Senegal are 33rd in the Fifa rankings. In other words, they’re the best team at the tournament – supposedly. Tunisia are just three behind them. We’re about to see just how good they are in around nine minutes, with kick-off coming up.
There’s less than 20 minutes until kick-off in Franceville. Earlier, Algeria salvaged a draw in their Group B opener against Zimbabwe:
The teams!
Tunisia: Mathlouthi, Ben Youssef, Abdennour, Maaloul, Naguez, Lahmar, Sassi, Azouni, Sliti, Msakni, Akaichi
Senegal: Diallo, Kara, Koulibaly, M’Bengue, Gassama, Gueye, Kouyaté, Ndiaye, Mame, Mané, Keita
Dressing Room ya timu ya taifa ya Senegal, game yao vs Tunisia ni saa 22:00 EAT #CAN2017 #FootballTogether pic.twitter.com/cN1ZF0MRgV
— millard ayo (@millardayo) January 15, 2017
Updated
The last time these two sides met, in 2014, Ferjani Sassi scored a 90th-minute winner for Tunisia, and his only goal for his country to date. The two previous meetings ended in draws. Henryk Kasperczak, the Tunisia coach today, was in charge of Senegal for one those (in 2008) too.
Preamble
Day one was pretty good, especially Guinea-Bissau’s tournament debut, but day two could yet prove even better. After the appetiser of Algeria’s draw with Zimbabwe earlier on today (Riyad Mahrez scored twice), there’s the Group B main course this evening. Tunisia play Senegal in Franceville, one of the largest cities in Gabon.
The Senegal manager, Aliou Cissé, captained his country to the final in 2002, when the Teranga Lions finished runners-up to Cameroon. But Cissé the manager is under pressure, with supporters unsure whether the former Portsmouth and Paris Saint-Germain midfielder is the man to unlock their first Nations Cup title. Cissé has a classy squad at his disposal, with Liverpool’s Sadio Mané, Africa’s most expensive ever player, Lazio’s Keita Balde and Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly. Chuck in Cheikhou Kouyaté, Idrissa Gueye and Mohamed Diamé, and it seems a promising cocktail. Senegal coasted through qualifying, with a 100% record, but can they replicate such form in Gabon over the next few weeks?
Tunisia are the first team to stand in their way, managed by the Polish coach, Henryk Kasperczak, who has previously taken charge of six other teams at this tournament. The Carthage Eagles – that’s their nickname – won the competition as hosts in 2004 and possess enough to reach the latter stages in Gabon this time around. There’s no Rahdi Jaidi, but they’ve got a new Mr Dependable now in Aymen Abdennour. Plus Sunderland’s Wahbi Khazri. What can possibly go wrong?
Kick-off: 7pm GMT
Updated
Ben will be here shortly. Until then, gem up on all of the teams at the tournament in Gabon this year:
