Gambia U17 roared back into contention at the 2025 TotalEnergies U-17 Africa Cup of Nations with a commanding 5-1 demolition of Somalia in their second Group C clash on Friday at the Stade Ben Ahmed El Abdi in Morocco.
After a narrow opening defeat to Senegal, the Young Scorpions came out stinging, racing to a 3-0 halftime lead and never taking their foot off the gas.
The night belonged to Alieu Drammeh, who lit up the pitch with a stunning hat-trick. He opened the scoring just four minutes in, coolly converting from the penalty spot after Alagie Baba was brought down. His second came in the 16th minute, a clinical right-footed finish after a smart headed assist from Bubacarr Suso. A Somali own goal by defender Liban Kalif made it 3-0 just before the break.
Somalia momentarily sparked hope when Anas Isse pulled one back early in the second half with a tidy finish. But Gambia snuffed out any comeback dreams, with Drammeh completing his hat-trick in the 76th minute—a towering header off Muhammed Danso’s corner.
Bisenty Mendy put the icing on the cake in stoppage time, capping off a blistering counter-attack with a composed finish to seal the emphatic victory.
The win propels Gambia to three points, keeping their knockout hopes alive ahead of a crucial showdown with Tunisia. Meanwhile, Somalia, reeling from back-to-back defeats, will look to salvage pride against group favorites Senegal.