Senegal’s ‘historic’ Afcon champions honoured with parade, presidential praise

DAKAR – Senegal President Bassirou Diomaye Faye congratulated the Lions of Teranga on Jan 20 for their “historic” victory in the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) final against Morocco, after tens of thousands of football fans crowded the streets of Dakar for a celebratory homecoming parade.

The team brandished their trophy from an open-top bus for more than seven hours as they inched their way across the capital and past immense mobs of fans, finally reaching the presidential palace at dusk.

In a ceremony, the President told the players they had “demonstrated exceptional fighting spirit, extraordinary resilience, and an iron will, and that is what makes your victory historic”.

Downtown was overcome by a fever pitch of almost deafening noise – revving engines, horns, vuvuzelas and shouting – as the players arrived for the reception.

All day, throngs of especially younger fans crowded the streets with electric energy, chanting, whistling, waving flags, dancing and blowing vuvuzelas.

Some walked or even ran alongside the bus, while multitudes lined the sidewalks, sometimes watching from buildings and bridges, or even climbing on top of cars and billboards to get a view.

Senegal won the Afcon when they beat hosts Morocco 1-0 in a chaotic final in Rabat on Jan 18 that saw the eventual champions storm off the pitch late in the game.

The team arrived back in Senegal on a special flight shortly before midnight on Jan 19, when they were greeted by Mr Faye, Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and other members of the government.

Fan Doudou Thiam told AFP from the parade’s sidelines in the Bourguiba neighbourhood that he “wouldn’t have missed this moment for the world”.

“The Lions are our pride and they deserve all the honours,” said the 26-year-old.

Senegal’s victory marked just their second title, after their victory over Egypt in 2022 in Cameroon. It was the team’s third final in the last four editions.

Hortense Kenny brought her five-year-old child to watch the parade in the working-class neighbourhood of Patte d’Oie, where the procession began.

“The Lions made an entire nation proud, beating the host country in those circumstances,” she told AFP, referring to the end of the match.

“Now, all that’s left is to win the World Cup. With Sadio Mane, anything is possible,” she added, referencing the team’s biggest star.

His role as peacemaker during the final – he was the one who stayed on the pitch and persuaded his teammates to return – has been widely praised.

Mr Faye extolled Mane in his speech, calling him “a player who, through his talent but above all through his sense of responsibility, left his mark on this final and this competition”.

The president additionally awarded each player 75 million CFA francs (S$172,000), as well as a parcel of land along Senegal’s sought-after Petite Cote.

The crowd seemed unfazed by a cloud of controversy surrounding their team’s decision to storm off the pitch late in normal time in protest at a penalty awarded to Morocco.

Prompted by 33-year-old Mane, they returned to the pitch and an attempted Panenka penalty from Morocco’s Brahim Diaz was easily saved by Senegal’s goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.

Midfielder Pape Gueye then won the game with a superb shot in extra time that stunned the Moroccan fans.

The Moroccan Football Association said it had referred the incidents, including protests from Senegal players and fans, to the Confederation of African Football and FIFA.

Mr Faye, in his speech, also congratulated Morocco “for the immense efforts made in organising” the competition and congratulated its team for a “remarkable performance”.

Far from Morocco, football’s lucrative business side had trickled down even to the streets of Dakar on Jan 20.

Amath Ndiaye, a 36-year-old street vendor who usually sells tissues, told AFP he has switched to hawking jerseys, flags, vuvuzelas and whistles for the duration of Afcon and the celebratory aftermath.

On Jan 20, he was basking in the wisdom of his decision.

“I’m doing well,” he said from Patte d’Oie, near the joyous crowd decked out in patriotic Senegalese gear and waving flags. AFP