Senegal starts Africa Cup campaign with 3-0 win over Botswana, Nigeria plods past Tanzania 2-1

TANGIER, Morocco (AP) — The contrast could hardly be greater.

Nicolas Jackson scored twice and Senegal started its Africa Cup of Nations title bid with a comfortable 3-0 win over Botswana on Tuesday, before Nigeria opened with a nervy 2-1 victory over Tanzania.

Both teams are among the favorites for the 35th edition of the tournament, but only one lived up to its billing.

Senegal substitute Cherif Ndiaye completed his team's scoring after Botswana goalkeeper Goitseone Phoko had prevented worse for the Zebras, who lined up with five at the back and were pinned back for most of the game.

“We have to keep going like this,” said Senegal coach Pape Thiaw, who nevertheless saw room for improvement. “There are no easy opening matches.”

Nigeria got a Group C win in the old “imperial city” of Fez, but the performance may cause concern.

“We are satisfied with the three points. That is the most important,” Nigeria coach Éric Chelle said.

The Super Eagles made the better start and should have scored long before Semi Ajayi finally broke the deadlock in the 36th with a header off Alex Iwobi’s cross after a short corner.

Charles M’Mombwa equalized against the run of play early in the second half, and though Ademola Lookman replied almost straight away with a fine strike, the Taifa Stars’ goal seemed to drain Nigerian confidence away.

Nigeria star Victor Osimhen, who’d earlier had a would-be goal ruled out for offside, was unhappy when he went off in the 86th.

Ibrahim Hamad missed the last chance for Tanzania, and Nigeria — the beaten finalist in the last edition — ultimately had enough experience to hold on.

Senegal, winner of the 2021 edition, could have scored more against a team ranked 138th in the world, all while the colorfully dressed Senegal fans danced to the beat of their drums.

The official team supporters had taken their positions long before kickoff and never stopped, not even as organizers blared pop tunes and advertisements in the otherwise mostly empty stadium.

Attendance in the 68,000-capacity Grand Stade de Tanger, which looks like a sugar-coated donut from the outside, was just over 18,500. Heavy rainfall likely kept neutral fans away. It kept pouring on the third day of what is shaping up to be the wettest and coldest Africa Cup to date. The tournament was initially scheduled for the summer, but it was pushed back to avoid clashing with FIFA’s new Club World Cup competition.

Jackson, who has had limited opportunities at Bayern Munich since his summer switch from Chelsea, missed a host of chances. The first came early with Phoko getting the better of their one-on-one, before Pape Gueye fired over, and Phoko made another great save to deny Sadio Mané.

Many more chances were missed before Jackson finally broke the deadlock in the 40th with a simple finish to Ismail Jakobs’ fast cross.

Botswana initially showed more attacking ambition after the break, but that yielded more counterattacking opportunities for the Teranga Lions, who quickly resumed their earlier dominance.

Jackson used both feet before sweeping in the ball in for his second goal in the 58th from Ismaïla Sarr’s cross.

Phoko remained the busiest Botswana player as Jackson’s frustrations grew. Jackson went off for Ndiaye in the 78th and the substitute wrapped up the scoring in the last minute.

Elias Achouri scored twice and Tunisia dealt Nigeria a warning with a 3-1 win over Uganda in Group C.

Ellyes Skhiri also scored for the Carthage Eagles, who were buoyed by vocal support, with Denis Omedi getting Uganda's consolation goal in stoppage time.

Nigeria faces Tunisia next on Saturday.

An early goal from Théo Bongonda was enough for Congo to beat Benin 1-0 in Group D's first game.

AP at the Africa Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-cup-of-nations

Senegal's Nicolas Jackson celebrates after scoring during the Africa Cup of Nations group D soccer match between Senegal and Botswana in Tangier, Morocco, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

Senegal's Cherif Ndiaye, left, and Cheikh Sabaly celebrate after a goal during the Africa Cup of Nations group D soccer match between Senegal and Botswana in Tangier, Morocco, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

Senegal's Cherif Ndiaye celebrates after scoring during the Africa Cup of Nations group D soccer match between Senegal and Botswana in Tangier, Morocco, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

A general view of the Tangier Grand Stadium is seen during the Africa Cup of Nations group D soccer match between Senegal and Botswana in Tangier, Morocco, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

Senegal's Nicolas Jackson celebrates after scoring during the Africa Cup of Nations group D soccer match between Senegal and Botswana in Tangier, Morocco, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

Senegal's Nicolas Jackson celebrates after scoring during the Africa Cup of Nations group D soccer match between Senegal and Botswana in Tangier, Morocco, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A private jet carrying Libya’s military chief, four other officers and three crew members crashed on Tuesday after takeoff from Turkey's capital, Ankara, killing everyone on board. Libyan officials said the cause of the crash was a technical malfunction on the plane.

The Libyan delegation was in Ankara for high-level defense talks aimed at boosting military cooperation between the two countries, Turkish officials said.

Libyan Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah confirmed the death of Gen. Muhammad Ali Ahmad al-Haddad and the four officers, saying in a statement on Facebook that the “tragic accident" took place as the delegation was returning home. The prime minister called it a "great loss” for Libya.

Al-Hadad was the top military commander in western Libya and played a crucial role in the ongoing, U.N.-brokered efforts to unify Libya’s military, which has split, much like Libya’s institutions.

The four other officers who died in the crash were Gen. Al-Fitouri Ghraibil, the head of Libya’s ground forces, Brig. Gen. Mahmoud Al-Qatawi, who led the military manufacturing authority, Mohammed Al-Asawi Diab, advisor to the chief of staff, and Mohammed Omar Ahmed Mahjoub, a military photographer with the chief of staff’s office.

The identities of the three crew members were not immediately known.

Turkish officials said the wreckage of the Falcon 50 type business jet had been found near the village of Kesikkavak, in Haymana, a district some 70 kilometers (about 43.5 miles) south of Ankara.

Earlier on Tuesday evening, Turkey’s air traffic controllers said they lost contact with the plane, which was en route back to Libya, after takeoff from Ankara's Esenboga airport.

Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, said in a social media post that the plane took off at 8:30 p.m. and that contact was lost 40 minutes later. The plane issued an emergency landing signal near Haymana before all communication ceased, Yerlikaya said.

Burhanettin Duran, the head of Turkish presidential communications office, said the plane notified air traffic control of an electrical fault and requested an emergency landing. The aircraft was redirected back to Esenboga where preparations for its landing began.

The plane however, disappeared from the radar while descending for the emergency landing, Duran said.

Security camera footage aired on local television stations showed the night sky over Haymana suddenly lit up by what appeared to be an explosion.

While in Ankara, al-Haddad had met with Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler and other officials.

The airport in Ankara was temporarily closed and several flights were diverted to other locations. Turkey’s Justice Ministry said four prosecutors have been assigned to investigate the crash, as is common in such incidents.

According to a government statement on Facebook, Libya will send a team to Ankara to work with Turkish authorities on investigating the crash.

Libya plunged into chaos after the country's 2011 uprising toppled and killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi. The country split, with rival administrations based in the east and west, backed by an array of rogue militias and foreign governments.

Turkey has been allied with Libya's government in the west, but has recently taken steps to improve ties with the eastern-based government as well.

Tuesday's visit by the Libyan delegation came a day after Turkey’s parliament approved to extend the mandate of Turkish troops serving in Libya for two years. Turkey deployed troops following a 2019 security and military cooperation agreement that was reached between Ankara and the Tripoli-based government.

Abuelgasim reported from Cairo.

Turkish rescue teams search for the remains of a private jet carrying Libya's military chief and four others that crashed after taking off from Ankara, killing everyone on board, in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Efekan Akyuz)

Turkish rescue teams search for the remains of a private jet carrying Libya's military chief and four others that crashed after taking off from Ankara, killing everyone on board, in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Efekan Akyuz)

Turkish rescue teams search for the remains of a private jet carrying Libya's military chief and four others that crashed after taking off from Ankara, killing everyone on board, in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Efekan Akyuz)

In this photo released by the Turkish Defense Ministry, Turkey's Chief of General Staff Gen. Selcuk Bayraktaroglu, right, poses for a photograph with Libyan Chief of General Staff Gen. Mohamed Ali Ahmed El Haddad during their meeting in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (Turkish Defense Ministry via AP)

In this photo released by the Turkish Defense Ministry, Turkey's Chief of General Staff Gen. Selcuk Bayraktaroglu, right, poses for a photograph with Libyan Chief of General Staff Gen. Mohamed Ali Ahmed El Haddad during their meeting in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (Turkish Defense Ministry via AP)