Senegal national football team facts for kids
Nickname(s) | Lions de la Téranga English: Lions of Teranga |
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Association | Fédération Sénégalaise de Football (FSF) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Confederation | CAF (Africa) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sub-confederation | WAFU (West Africa) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Head coach | Pape Thiaw | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Captain | Kalidou Koulibaly | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Most caps | Idrissa Gueye (121) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Top scorer | Sadio Mané (45) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Home stadium | Diamniadio Olympic Stadium | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
FIFA code | SEN | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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FIFA ranking | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Current | 24 ![]() |
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Highest | 17 (Feb–April 2024) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lowest | 99 (June 2013) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Elo ranking | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Current | 31 ![]() |
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Highest | 21 (June 2002) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lowest | 105 (October 1994) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
First international | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pre-independence:![]() ![]() (The Gambia; 1959) Post-independence: ![]() ![]() (31 December 1961) |
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Biggest win | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
![]() ![]() (Dakar, Senegal; 28 September 1972) |
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Biggest defeat | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
![]() ![]() (Guinea; 6 March 1966) ![]() ![]() (Conakry, Guinea; 23 August 2017) |
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World Cup | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Appearances | 3 (first in 2002) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Best result | Quarter-finals (2002) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Africa Cup of Nations | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Appearances | 18 (first in 1965) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Best result | Champions (2021) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
African Nations Championship | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Appearances | 3 (first in 2009) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Best result | Champions (2022) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Amílcar Cabral Cup | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Appearances | 19 (first in 1979) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Best result | Champions (1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1991, 2001) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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The Senegal national football team is also known as Les Lions de la Teranga, which means The Lions of Teranga in French. This team represents the country of Senegal in men's international football games. The Senegalese Football Federation manages the team.
Senegal is one of Africa's most famous football teams. They made it to the quarter-finals of the 2002 FIFA World Cup. This was a huge achievement, as they were only the second African team to do so. They surprised everyone by beating the defending world champions, France. They then won against Sweden before losing to Turkey.
Senegal first played in the Africa Cup of Nations in 1965. They finished fourth in that tournament. They hosted the 1992 African Cup of Nations and reached the quarter-finals. The team was also a runner-up in 2002 and 2019. Finally, Senegal won their first Africa Cup of Nations title in 2021. They beat Egypt in the final after a penalty shootout.
Senegal is one of the few national teams that has never lost to Brazil. They have one win and one draw against them in friendly matches.

Contents
Team History
Early Years
Senegal became independent from France on April 4, 1960. The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) was created that same year. Their first match was on December 31, 1961, against Dahomey (now Benin), which they lost 3–2. The FSF joined FIFA in 1962 and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in 1963.
Senegal's first time in the Africa Cup of Nations was in 1965. They finished fourth after losing to Ivory Coast. After another early exit in 1968, they did not qualify for the tournament again until 1986.
Success in the 1990s and 2000s
In the 1990 Africa Cup of Nations, Senegal finished fourth. They hosted the 1992 tournament and reached the quarter-finals.
In 2002, Senegal lost the final to Cameroon in a penalty shootout. Later that year, Senegal played in their first ever World Cup. They famously beat the defending champions, France, in their first game. They then drew with Denmark and Uruguay to move past the group stage. They beat Sweden in extra time to reach the quarter-finals. This made them one of only four African teams to ever reach this stage. They lost to Turkey in extra time.
Senegal qualified for the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations but did not make it past the group stage. They also failed to qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
The 2010s and Beyond
Senegal did not win any games in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.
When their former coach, Bruno Metsu, passed away in 2013, many Senegalese players honored him. He was the coach who led them to the 2002 World Cup quarter-finals.
Senegal almost made it to the 2014 FIFA World Cup but lost to Ivory Coast in the final qualifying round. They played in two more Africa Cup of Nations tournaments before the next World Cup. They were eliminated in the group stage in 2015 and reached the quarter-finals in 2017.
On November 10, 2017, Senegal beat South Africa 2–0. This win qualified them for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, their first since 2002. They beat Poland 2–1 in their first group match. They then drew 2–2 with Japan. However, a 1–0 loss to Colombia meant they were eliminated. Japan moved on because of a better fair play record.
Aliou Cissé, who played in the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations, coached Senegal to the final of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. They lost 1–0 to Algeria in the final, after also losing to them earlier in the tournament.
Recent Success in the 2020s
Despite many players being unavailable due to COVID-19, Senegal played in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (which was held in 2022). They won their first match against Zimbabwe 1–0 and drew their next two games. This was enough to win their group. In the next round, they faced Cape Verde and won.
Senegal then beat Equatorial Guinea 3–1 in the quarter-finals. They won against Burkina Faso 3–1 in the semi-finals. In the final, Senegal played Egypt. Sadio Mané scored the winning penalty in a shootout, giving Senegal their first Africa Cup of Nations title. The team returned home to a huge celebration in Dakar.
After the Africa Cup of Nations final, Senegal played Egypt again to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Senegal won on penalties once more, with Mané scoring the winning penalty against his Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah. However, there were some issues during the penalty shootout, with lasers pointed at the Egyptian players. FIFA fined Senegal's football federation for this.
For the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Senegal was in Group A with Qatar, Ecuador, and the Netherlands. Even though their star player Mané was injured, Senegal still made it out of the group. They lost their first game to the Netherlands 2–0. But they earned six points by beating Qatar and Ecuador. They reached the Round of 16, where they lost 3–0 to England. This was the second time Senegal made it past the group stage in only three World Cup appearances.
On June 10, 2025, Senegal won 3–1 against England in a friendly match.
Team Kits
Puma has made Senegal's football kits since 2005, except for 2017. The home kit is usually white, and the away kit is green.
Kit providers | Period |
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None | 1960–1980 |
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1980–2000 |
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2000–2001 |
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2002–2004 |
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2005–2016 |
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2017 |
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2018–present |
Current Coaching Staff
Coaching History Highlights

Many coaches have led the Senegal national football team over the years. Some of the most notable include:
- Bruno Metsu (2000–2002): He led Senegal to the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations final and their first World Cup quarter-finals.
- Aliou Cissé (2015–2024): He is considered the most successful coach. He led the team to win the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations. He also guided them to the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
Key Players
Current Team Squad
Here are the players who were called up for friendly matches in June 2025.
Player information is updated as of June 10, 2025.
No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
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1 | GK | Yehvann Diouf | 16 November 1999 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
16 | GK | Édouard Mendy | 1 March 1992 | 44 | 0 | ![]() |
23 | GK | Mory Diaw | 22 June 1993 | 2 | 0 | ![]() |
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3 | DF | Kalidou Koulibaly | 20 June 1991 | 91 | 1 | ![]() |
4 | DF | Abdoulaye Seck | 4 June 1992 | 14 | 2 | ![]() |
14 | DF | Ismail Jakobs | 17 August 1999 | 22 | 0 | ![]() |
22 | DF | Abdou Diallo | 4 May 1996 | 33 | 2 | ![]() |
24 | DF | Antoine Mendy | 27 May 2004 | 3 | 0 | ![]() |
DF | Moussa Niakhaté | 8 March 1996 | 18 | 0 | ![]() |
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2 | MF | Mamadou Camara | 5 January 2003 | 5 | 1 | ![]() |
5 | MF | Idrissa Gueye | 26 September 1989 | 116 | 7 | ![]() |
6 | MF | Habib Diarra | 3 January 2004 | 11 | 4 | ![]() |
8 | MF | Lamine Camara | 5 January 2004 | 20 | 4 | ![]() |
17 | MF | Cheikh Niasse | 19 January 2000 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
18 | MF | Ismaïla Sarr | 25 February 1998 | 72 | 16 | ![]() |
25 | MF | El Hadji Malick Diouf | 28 December 2004 | 6 | 0 | ![]() |
26 | MF | Pape Gueye | 24 January 1999 | 28 | 2 | ![]() |
MF | Pape Matar Sarr | 14 September 2002 | 31 | 2 | ![]() |
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MF | Pathé Ciss | 16 March 1994 | 18 | 0 | ![]() |
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7 | FW | Nicolas Jackson | 20 June 2001 | 19 | 1 | ![]() |
9 | FW | Boulaye Dia | 16 November 1996 | 34 | 6 | ![]() |
10 | FW | Cheikh Sabaly | 4 March 1999 | 4 | 1 | ![]() |
12 | FW | Cherif Ndiaye | 23 January 1996 | 6 | 0 | ![]() |
13 | FW | Iliman Ndiaye | 6 March 2000 | 27 | 2 | ![]() |
15 | FW | Krépin Diatta | 25 February 1999 | 47 | 2 | ![]() |
20 | FW | Idrissa Gueye | 16 September 2006 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
21 | FW | Abdallah Sima | 17 June 2001 | 9 | 0 | ![]() |
Most Games Played
These players have played the most games for Senegal:
- Idrissa Gueye (120 games)
- Sadio Mané (113 games)
- Henri Camara (99 games)
- Cheikhou Kouyaté (92 games)
- Kalidou Koulibaly (91 games)
Top Goal Scorers
These players have scored the most goals for Senegal:
- Sadio Mané (45 goals)
- Henri Camara (29 goals)
- El Hadji Diouf (24 goals)
- Mamadou Niang (20 goals)
- Jules Bocandé (20 goals)
Tournament Records
FIFA World Cup
Senegal has played in the FIFA World Cup three times: in 2002, 2018, and 2022. Their best result was reaching the quarter-finals in 2002.
Africa Cup of Nations
For a long time, Senegal was not one of the strongest teams in West Africa. They often finished in fourth place or were eliminated early. However, in the 2000s, Senegal became a much stronger team. After their great performance in the 2002 World Cup, they became a top team in Africa.
In the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations, they lost in the final to Cameroon after a penalty shootout. They were also runners-up in 2019. Finally, in 2021, Senegal won their first Africa Cup of Nations title!
African Nations Championship
Senegal has also done well in the African Nations Championship, winning the title in 2022.
Amílcar Cabral Cup
Senegal has won the Amílcar Cabral Cup eight times, showing their strength in regional tournaments.
WAFU Nations Cup
Senegal won the WAFU Nations Cup in 2019. They were also runners-up twice, in 2010 and 2013.
Team Achievements
Continental Titles
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Regional Titles
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Awards
- FIFA Best Mover of the Year: 2002
- African National Team of the Year: 2001, 2002, 2007, 2022
- Africa Cup of Nations Fair Play Award: 2019, 2021
See also
In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Senegal para niños
- Senegal national under-20 football team
- Senegal national under-17 football team
- Football in Senegal