Senegal will be challenging for the title of African champion from the last edition (2021). In what will be their 17th appearance at a AFCON, the country of Teranga has a legitimate claim to the title. Many observers consider them to be among the favourites, and their main asset is a squad of talented, experienced players who know each other from their long association with the national team. Not only that, but a number of talented young players have been added to the squad since the last CAF Africa Cup of Nations. The question on everyone's lips is whether Senegal will succeed in retaining their title.
The country
Capital: Dakar
Surface area: 196. 722 km2
Population: 18,032,473
Official language: French
Inhabitants : Senegalese
Motto: One people, One goal, One faith
Team nickname: Lions of Teranga
Senegal and the AFCON
Title: 1
Finals: 3
Appearances before AFCON 2023: 16
Host country: 1
AFCON history
1965: 2nd in the group that qualified them for the final for 3rd place (lost)
1968: eliminated in group stage
1986: eliminated in group stage
1990: semi-finals
1992: quarter-finals
1994: quarter-finals
2000: Quarter-finals
2002: Final
2004: quarter-finals
2006: semi-finals
2008: eliminated in group stage
2012: eliminated in group stage
2015: eliminated in group stage
2017: quarter-finals
2019: Final
2021: victory
The star: Sadio Mané
Sadio Mané is the undisputed star of the Senegalese national team. He played a key role in Senegal's triumph at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, scoring the winning penalty against Egypt in the shoot-out. He was also voted best player of the tournament. Mané scored 3 goals and provided 3 assists for the Lions of Teranga. Mané had previously helped guide Senegal to the final in 2019, which they unfortunately lost to Algeria. With Senegal, he is the all-time top scorer with 40 goals in 101 appearances.
Sadio Mané's stature is global, and he is one of Africa's greatest stars. This is explained by his entire career, especially his time with Liverpool, with whom he won one Champions League and lost 2 other finals.Along with his team-mates, including Salah, he helped Liverpool win the English championship in 2019-2020. This trophy had eluded the Reds since the 1989-1990 season. Mané is Liverpool's 9th top scorer with a total of 120 goals in 269 games.
To confirm his international dimension, the player was among the first stars contacted and who responded to the Saudi sirens. He now plays for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia alongside Cristiano Ronaldo. As such, he is one of the league's headliners alongside Ronaldo, Benzema, Ngolo Kanté, Neymar...
Sadio Mané's individual honours include 2 African Golden Ball awards, a Premier League Golden Shoe, the Socrates Award, inclusion in the 11 of the Year 2019, in the Golden Eleven of the same year, etc. Sadio Mané was also 2nd in the Ballon d'Or behind Benzema for the 2021-2022 season.
The coach:
Aliou CisséAliou Cissé has been Senegal's coach since March 4, 2015 - almost 9 years.This is a longevity record for this former player, who has one of the most glorious track records in the Senegalese national team, both as a player and as a coach.As a player, he was captain of Senegal's first final in 2022, and of the 2002 World Cup triumph (Senegal reached the quarter-finals).
As coach, he has restored Senegal's status as one of Africa's greats. He has been steadily improving the team since taking over. He first qualified Senegal for the quarter-finals of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, at a time when they had already been eliminated in the group stages (2008, 2012, 2015) or even failed to qualify (2010, 2013). After the quaters in 2017, Aliou Cissé led Senegal to the final in 2019, then to victory in 2022. He has also qualified for 2 World Cups with Senegal, in 2018 and 2022, where he and his team reached the Round of 8.
Senegal's schedule in the Group
January 15, 2024 (2pm GMT): Senegal - Gambia
January 19, 2024 (5pm GMT): Senegal - Cameroon
January 23, 2024 (5pm GMT): Guinea - Senegal
🏆 Coupe d’Afrique des Nations
🏆 Championnat d’Afrique de Nations
Le Sénégal 🇸🇳 domine l’Afrique. 🌍🔥 pic.twitter.com/abVTQO0qf8
— Actu Foot (@ActuFoot_) February 4, 2023
