Senegal’s Soccer Triumph
Senegal wins its first African championship title after beating Egypt in an intense final
On the Senegalese side, there are tears of delight, and on the Egyptian side, tears of despair. The strongest players on the playground are busy comforting the others. A spirit of fraternity, togetherness, and warmth pervades across the stadium. This is a touching scene in the 33rd African Cup of Nations (AFCON) final, held on February 6 at the Olembé Stadium in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon. Senegal’s match against Egypt was a high-level game between two renowned African soccer nations, with a wealth of talent on the field.
On one side was the Egyptian Pharaohs, which, inspired by Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah, was vying for an eighth continental crown. On the other side was the Senegalese Lions of Teranga, guided by their captain Kalidou Koulibaly in defense, and Sadio Mané, Salah’s teammate at club level, in attack. The two teams matched each other in tactical and technical aspects, which, resulted in the score 0-0 at the end of the 120 minutes of open play. It came down to the fateful test of the penalty kicks to decide the winner.
By stopping Mohanad Lasheen’s penalty kick, Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, who was subsequently chosen as the best goalie of the AFCON, gave Senegal the lead. Mané, who had missed a penalty in the sixth minute of regular play, sealed the match for Senegal with his successful attempt at scoring a goal this time. On the field, joy erupted. The lions ran in all directions, celebrating their victory. They can now put to rest the ghost of their defeat by Cameroon in 2002 and by Algeria in 2019. They have their first championship and can see their names written on the competition’s winner list. Senegal has become the 15th winner of the most prestigious African competition.
The Senegalese captain, for whom the joy was evident, said, “We are the first team to win it for Senegal ever. It was a goal we set for ourselves, and we were successful.” For his part, Mané said, “I consider the CAN [the trophy from AFCON] to be the finest trophy I’ve ever won. I accomplished it with the entire team, and I don’t know what to say about it. I can’t believe I’m living a dream. We’re really happy.” Unsurprisingly, it was with great pomp that the Senegalese heroes were welcomed back home, by a jubilant people, after winning this competition with great difficulty.
COVID-19 impact
One difficulty that the Senegalese team has dealt with is COVID-19. Due to the pandemic, Senegal, which was placed in pool B, had started the AFCON competition with a smaller team. Some players, notably Koulibaly and Mendy, had been tested positive for the coronavirus and placed in quarantine before the start of the tournament. Before each match, nuclear acid tests were conducted for teams to contain the spread as much as feasible. But the positive cases and subsequent quarantines disrupted the plans of the team. It was a persistent source of anxiety, especially because the neutrality and objectivity of the medical teams in charge of overseeing the tests was called into doubt on occasions. To calm the anxiety, the Organizing Committee of the Confederation of African Football, as well as that of the host country, had to multiply the communication efforts to reassure the teams. Medical tests were also entrusted to a competent and professional international firm.
Medical teams were stationed at the entrance of hotels, fan zones, and stadiums with the purpose of testing and vaccinating people so as to avoid a health disaster and ensure this tournament to be held successfully. The capacity was limited to 80 percent of the 60,000 seats at the Olembé Stadium in Yaoundé (for matches involving Cameroon, the host country) and 60 percent in other stadiums, in addition to the requirement of a negative result and evidence of vaccination for those entering the venues. Nonetheless, a stampede occurred on January 24 at the entrance to Olembé as people jostled to enter the venue. Eight persons were killed in this catastrophe and many were injured. A nearby hospital was mostly utilized to treat the injured, two of whom were critically hurt.
Moreover, a controversy about the quality of the pitch at the Olembé Stadium also posed challenges, which was investigated and resolved in time for the Yaoundé venue to host AFCON.
Excitement and surprises
Despite these difficulties, the final of the AFCON was full of excitement and surprises. The early elimination of Algeria, the defending champion and the competition’s favorites alongside Senegal, was the biggest surprise at the outset. The Teranga Lions, on the other hand, have validated the faith in them. The rise in power of certain countries, such as the Comoros, Cabo Verde, and Gambia, to mention a few, as well as the stable performance of countries like Burkina Faso, was another hallmark of this AFCON.
It’s also worth noting that Rwandan Salima Rhadia Mukansanga, who officiated the match between Guinea and Zimbabwe on the third day of Group B, became the first woman to officiate an AFCON match in the final phase. Cameroon’s captain, Vincent Aboubakar,
I consider the CAN [the trophy from AFCON] to be the finest trophy I’ve ever won. I accomplished it with the entire team, and I don’t know what to say about it. I can’t believe I’m living a dream. We’re really happy.
SADIO MANÉ Senegalese football star
was awarded the golden boot after scoring eight goals during the competition. Mané, chosen as the best player of the AFCON 2021, and Mendy, the best goalkeeper, rounded out the podium.
With the conclusion of this memorable albeit eventful edition, the baton has now been passed to Côte d’ivoire, who will host the 34th edition of the AFCON in 2023.