PARIS, March 28 (Reuters) - Senegal defiantly displayed the Africa Cup of Nations trophy to their supporters on Saturday before going on to beat Peru 2-0 in their World Cup warm-up game at the Stade de France.
Nicolas Jackson scored four minutes before halftime and Ismaila Sarr added a second in the 54th as Senegal won their first game since January’s Cup of Nations final, when they beat Morocco only to be stripped of the title this month.
The Confederation of African Football’s Appeal Board awarded Morocco the Cup of Nations title after Senegal had staged a 14-minute walk off during the final in Rabat, a decision that Senegal is contesting at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
An hour before kick off in Paris on Saturday, Senegal’s players and coach Pape Bouna Thiaw walked around the pitch with the trophy to a delirious reception from a near-capacity crowd as they continue to scoff at the CAF decision.
Thiaw had declared on Friday that “we know we're African champions” and the team wore a newly designed strip featuring two stars above their badge, representing success in the Cup of Nations in 2021 and again this year.
Jackson had an easy put-away for the first goal after a storming run down the right wing by Senegal’s teenage starlet Ibrahima Mbaye, taking over the attacking mantle with Sadio Mane absent.
Sarr latched onto a ricocheted ball that fell perfectly into his path but had to power past two defenders before scoring the second goal.
There was also a convincing win for the Ivory Coast as they hammered South Korea 4-0 at Stadium MK, north of London, on Saturday.
Like Senegal, the Ivorians are among the nine African countries who will compete at the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the U.S starting in June.
Evann Guessand scuffed home the first goal in the 35th minute after being set up by debutant Martial Godo, who then scored the third himself from a rebound at a corner after 62 minutes.
In between, Simon Adingra announced his return to the team with a rasping shot on the stroke of halftime to make it 2-0.
He had been omitted from the squad for the Cup of Nations in Morocco at the turn of the year, where the Ivorians were defending their title but went out in the quarter-finals.
Defender Wilfried Singo, another player back in the squad, side-footed the fourth goal with the last kick of the game.
The Ivorians next face Scotland at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool, while Senegal head home to play neighbours Gambia in Dakar on Tuesday where they are expected to again brandish the golden trophy in front of their home support.
(Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Ken Ferris)
