A point to prove after Afcon fiasco
Senegal enters the 2026 World Cup under the most curious—and frankly unbelievable— circumstances.
Much like in 2022, when The Taranga Lions arrived in Qatar as reigning Africa Cup of Nations champion, it believed it would once again head into the tournament as kings of the continent, having defeated Morocco in the 2025 final.
But two months after its 1–0 extra-time victory, the result was sensationally overturned. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) Appeal Board ruled that Senegal had effectively forfeited the match after controversially leaving the field when Morocco was awarded a late penalty—one that was ultimately missed after Pape Thiaw’s side returned.
The outcome? Morocco was crowned champion after the fact, and Senegal was stripped of the title in one of the most astonishing and controversial decisions in recent memory.
So how does that set them up for the World Cup? Expect a team playing with a point to prove—not just against Morocco, but against the world. And while motivation will be sky-high, turning that into success on the biggest stage won’t be easy, especially after being drawn into a so-called “Group of Death” alongside France and Norway.
As you’d probably expect from the almost champion of Africa, Senegal enjoyed a strong World Cup qualifying campaign, going unbeaten and winning seven of their 10 matches to edge out DR Congo for automatic qualification.
Thiaw’s men—aside from dispatching minnows South Sudan twice and Mauritania once—didn’t exactly blow their Group B opponents away. Rather, it proved to be an incredibly difficult side to break down, conceding just three goals while offering just enough cutting edge at the other end to grind out a series of narrow but crucial victories.
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