Move Over, Super Eagles! Senegal is the New King of African Football

Move Over, Super Eagles! Senegal is the New King of African Football
Credit: Iconsport

It's a great time to be a Senegal football fan. The country has achieved total domination of African football, winning the TotalEnergies 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cameroon, the 2022 Africa Beach Soccer Cup of Nations in Mozambique, the 2022 African Nations Championship (AFCON) in Algeria, and the 2023 U20 AFCON in Egypt. Yesterday, the country added another continental crown, as the U17 side won the 2023 U17 AFCON in Algeria. The win made Senegal the current African champions in all categories.

The FSF's Role in Senegal's African Domination

The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) deserves credit for this success. Since Augustin Senghor took the presidency of the FSF, he created strategies that triggered a new era of Senegalese football.

“First at the organizational level, we saw that the FSF has a mastery of African competitions.” Souleymane Diallo, a football researcher, explained to Assane Diagne of The Conversation Afrique.

He added: “Since we solved the problem of participation, we have been able to control the factors that revolve around competition. This facilitated a mastery of logistics. To win in Africa, it is necessary. Added to this is the significant aid from the State of Senegal, which charters a special flight to ensure the movement of the players. In Africa, travel is very difficult.”

“We can also underline the policy put in place by the FSF which asks the various technical staff to have a complementarity, to fit together. Players who were in the under 20s thus find themselves in the under 23s. Among the under-17s, there are also under-15s. Through the organization put in place, we train an athlete who will be in continuity, in the search for performance through this policy aimed at putting the staffs together,” he added.

Speaking to SABC Sport, Senegal head coach Saliou Dia said their conquest at the TotalEnergies U17 Africa Cup of Nations came due to years of investment. He stated, “The FA invests a lot of funds because the government is in charge of the national team. But for all the other national teams, all the projects, all the competitions projects, this is taken care of by the football association. We have to also praise the vision of a good president. A president who understands what development is and who's able to also listen to the TD [Technical Director]”

Senegal in AFCON 2021

Sadio Mane and his teammates celebrated with the 16 million Senegalese their first African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in February 2022. They waited 60 years for the success, with the government declaring 7 February a national public holiday to celebrate its first-ever victory at the Africa Cup of Nations.

2022 Africa Beach Soccer Cup of Nations

Senegal clinched their fourth consecutive Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations and their seventh in history last October. As a result, they secured access to World Cup participation in 2023 and will be focused and determined to bring home another championship title. With their talent and passion for the sport, there's no doubt that they will continue to make history in the years to come.

The 2022 African Nations Championship

Senegal beat hosts Algeria on penalties to win the African Nations Championship, extending continental dominance. The African Nations Championship permits only local-based players to show their local qualities. This win secured their continental dominance and showcased the depth of talent and passion for football in Senegal.

U-20 Africa Cup of Nations

Senegal defeated neighbours Gambia 2-0 to claim their first-ever U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) champions title and dominated the competition in terms of individual awards as well. The Young Lions' impressive display of skill and determination throughout the tournament earned them widespread praise and admiration from fans across Africa and beyond. As they prepare to take on the world's best in Indonesia, all eyes will be on this talented group of players to see if they can continue their winning ways and make history again.

2023 U17 AFCON

Senegal took over another prestigious African competition, this time by staging a historical comeback in the final of the 2023 U17 AFCON. The victory was a testament to the players and coaching staff's hard work and dedication. They worked tirelessly to prepare for this moment.

The future looks bright for Senegalese football, and these victories will go down in history as one of the greatest moments in the sport's rich history of the continent.

2023 AFCON

The football world is looking forward to the most competitive African competition. All eyes will be on Senegal at the upcoming AFCON in Ivory Coast. They'll face stiff competition as the Nigeria Super Eagles and other African teams will be eager to end their respective droughts for the continental crown.

The following teams will be Senegal's fiercest competitors at the AFCON 2023:

  • The Nigeria Super Eagles have won the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) on three occasions. They are experienced in the competition as they have built a football heritage in Africa and dominated for years.
  • Morocco tops the list as one of the strongest candidates for the AFCON 2023 edition after their outstanding performance in the Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022. The team will be determined to win a second AFCON title.
  • Mohamed Salah's Egypt is always in contention for the AFCON title, winning it seven times, the most of any time.
  • Algeria, the winners of AFCON 2019, will be eager to go as far as possible in this edition after they failed to qualify for the Qatar FIFA World Cup.
  • Cameroon has won the Africa Cup of Nations five times in its history.

This article was most recently revised and updated 1 year ago

Chandan Pandey
Chandan is a passionate writer, editor, and marketer with a love for football. He has bylines in leading online publications and has worked with renowned sports brands like The Olympics, Fox Sports Asia, and the Indian Super League (ISL). As for the unimpressive part, he loves Chelsea.
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