Senegal brush DR Congo aside at Wafcon

Senegal produced a first-half demolition of DR Congo to register a comfortable 4-0 win and move top of Group A at the 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) in Morocco.

Played in searing heat in Mohammedia, the only early afternoon kick-off of the tournament was effectively over as a contest even before the first cooling break.

Forwards Mama Diop and Ngeunar Ndiaye both scored two goals before half-time as the powerful Lionesses of Teranga frontline ripped into a fragile and disorganised rearguard.

The first three goals, all netted inside the opening 22 minutes, all came from simple long balls in behind the DR Congo defence.

The West Africans cruised through a goalless second half in which their opponents were marginally more competitive, with both sides hitting the woodwork.

Following the 2-2 draw between Morocco and Zambia in Saturday's opening fixture, Senegal have the chance to book a place in the quarter-finals against the Zambians back in Mohammedia on Wednesday (16:00 GMT).

On the same day DR Congo will hope to improve as they face the hosts in Rabat (19:00 GMT).

This was the second Wafcon meeting between the two sides following DR Congo's 1-0 victory in 2012 - but there was little danger of a repeat here.

Making their third appearance at a finals, this performance will give Senegal high hopes of causing an upset or two, with their starting front three of Diop, Ndiaye and Hapsatou Malado exhibiting a level of pace and physicality that DR Congo found impossible to live with.

But the simple way in which they carved through their opponents will have made Congo's French coach Herve Happy a miserable man - so much so that he made a decisive early substitution in an ultimately futile attempt to plug the leaks.

Senegal captain Diop was the star of the show, with the rangy Marseille striker beginning the rout after just five minutes by lifting a sumptuous scooped lob on the half-volley up and over goalkeeper Fideline Ngoy from outside the penalty area.

It was a class finish that marked the 30-year-old out as one to watch as the tournament progresses.

Ndiaye, playing as one of two wide forwards flanking Diop, added the second in the 13th minute after latching on to a simple through ball.

She could have gone down on the edge of the box after being clipped by Ngoy - a challenge that would surely have resulted in a red card for the keeper - but kept her feet after a stumble to find an empty net.

Diop scored the third in the 22nd minute, slotting home after Ngoy had parried her first effort, and Ndiaye headed the fourth on 40 minutes after running unmarked into the area to convert a cross from Malado.

DR Congo's chances in the game were not helped by the fact that their star striker, Paris St-Germain's Merveille Kanjinga, was out suspended.

Meanwhile, preparations ahead of kick-off had also been far from ideal.

The squad refused to attend their final training session on Saturday in a dispute over pay and conditions.

Coach Happy had already lambasted their accommodation in his pre-match press conference, while kit was also late arriving in Morocco.

This performance made it look as if those distractions had unsettled the players, who will have to regroup quickly to stand any chance of making it out of what looks like an extremely competitive group.

Flavine Mawete Musolo had their best chance in the second period, heading against the far post from a corner, but in truth they never looked to have the power or ingenuity to trouble Senegal.