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Senegal national football team facts for kids

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This page is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Senegal women's national football team.
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Senegal
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s) Lions de la Téranga
English: Lions of Teranga
Association Fédération Sénégalaise de Football (FSF)
Confederation CAF (Africa)
Sub-confederation WAFU (West Africa)
Head coach Pape Thiaw (caretaker)
Captain Kalidou Koulibaly
Most caps Idrissa Gueye (119)
Top scorer Sadio Mané (46)
Home stadium Diamniadio Olympic Stadium
FIFA code SEN
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 24 Decrease 1 (7 February 2019)
Highest 17 (Feb–April 2024)
Lowest 99 (June 2013)
Elo ranking
Current 31 Decrease 4 (3 March 2019)
Highest 21 (June 2002)
Lowest 105 (October 1994)
First international
Pre-independence:
 British Gambia 1–2 French Senegal Flag of Senegal (1958–1959).svg
(The Gambia; 1959)
Post-independence:
 Dahomey 3–2 Senegal 
(31 December 1961)
Biggest win
 Senegal 10–1 Mauritania 
(Dakar, Senegal; 28 September 1972)
Biggest defeat
 Guinea 5–0 Senegal 
(Guinea; 6 March 1966)
 Guinea 5–0 Senegal 
(Conakry, Guinea; 23 August 2017)
World Cup
Appearances 3 (first in 2002)
Best result Quarter-finals (2002)
Africa Cup of Nations
Appearances 17 (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
Africa Cup of Nations
Gold 2021 Cameroon
Silver 2019 Egypt
Silver 2002 Mali
African Nations Championship
Gold 2022 Algeria
Amílcar Cabral Cup
Silver 2005 Guinea
Gold 2001 Mali
Silver 2000 Cape Verde
Silver 1997 Gambia
Silver 1993 Sierra Leone
Gold 1991 Senegal
Gold 1986 Senegal
Gold 1985 Gambia
Gold 1984 Sierra Leone
Gold 1983 Mauritania
Silver 1982 Cape Verde
Bronze 1981 Mali
Gold 1980 Gambia
Gold 1979 Guinea-Bissau

The Senegal national football team (French: Équipe de football du Senegal), nicknamed Les Lions de la Teranga (meaning: The Lions of Teranga), represents Senegal in international association football and is operated by the Senegalese Football Federation.

One of Africa's most famous national football teams, Senegal reached the quarter-finals of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, the second team from Africa to do so (after Cameroon in 1990). They managed to upset defending world champions France, finish second in their group, and beat Sweden in extra time in the round of 16, before losing to Turkey in the quarter-finals.

Senegal's first appearance in the Africa Cup of Nations was in 1965, when they lost 1–0 to Ivory Coast for fourth place. They hosted the 1992 African Cup of Nations, where they made it to the quarter-finals, and finished as runners-up in both 2002 and 2019. Senegal would finally win their first AFCON title in 2021, defeating Egypt in the final on penalties following a 0–0 draw after extra time.

Along with Norway, Senegal is one of very few national football teams never to have lost against Brazil, having one win and one draw in friendly matches.

History

Early history

Senegal gained its independence from France on 4 April 1960, and the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) was founded that year. The first Senegal match took place on 31 December 1961 against Dahomey (now Benin), a 3–2 loss. The FSF has been affiliated with FIFA since 1962 and has been a member of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) since 1963. Senegal's first appearance in the Africa Cup of Nations was in 1965, where they finished second in their group, and lost 1–0 to Ivory Coast to finish in fourth place. After a group stage exit at the AFCON three years later, they would not qualify for the tournament until 1986.

1990s and 2000s

In the 1990 Africa Cup of Nations, Senegal finished fourth; they hosted the 1992 tournament, where after finishing second in their group, they were eliminated by Cameroon in the quarterfinals. Senegal lost the 2002 final on a penalty shoot-out after drawing 0–0 with Cameroon. Later that year, Senegal made their debut appearance at the World Cup. After defeating defending world champions France in their opening game, they drew with Denmark and Uruguay to progress from the group stage, then beat Sweden in extra time in the round of 16 to reach the quarter-finals, one of only four African teams to do so (alongside Cameroon in 1990, Ghana in 2010 and Morocco in 2022). There, they lost to Turkey in extra time.

Senegal qualified for the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations, but finished third in their group with two points. They failed to make the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, the first World Cup to be held in Africa.

2010s

Senegal was eliminated from the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations with zero wins and zero points.

After former manager Bruno Metsu died on 14 October 2013, many Senegalese players were recalled to appear and have a moment of silence in memory of the manager who helped them reach the quarter-final in the 2002 World Cup. All activities of the national league and the national team were suspended for a few days in his memory.

The West African nation narrowly missed the 2014 FIFA World Cup after losing in a round-robin match against Ivory Coast in the final qualification round. Senegal qualified for two Africa Cup of Nations tournaments before the next World Cup, being eliminated in the group stage in 2015 and reaching the quarterfinals in 2017. On 10 November 2017, after defeating South Africa 2–0, Senegal qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, their first since 2002. Senegal defeated Poland 2–1 in their opening group match, thanks to an own goal by Thiago Cionek and a M'Baye Niang strike. In the next group stage match, Senegal drew 2–2 against Japan, with goals from Sadio Mané and Moussa Wagué. A 1–0 loss to Colombia in their final match meant they finished level on points with Japan, who progressed thanks to a superior fair play record. Thus, Senegal was eliminated in the group stage for the first time in its World Cup history.

Aliou Cissé, who participated in the 2002 AFCON, managed Senegal to a runner-up campaign in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. Having lost 1–0 to Algeria earlier in the tournament, Senegal lost 1–0 to them again in the final.

2020s

Deprived of many players due to COVID-19, Senegal participated in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, postponed to 2022 because of the pandemic; they beat Zimbabwe in their first match 1–0 and drew their next two games, enough to finish first in their group. In the round of 16, Senegal faced Cape Verde. Mané recorded a shot that hit the post in the first minute. Patrick Andrade was sent off in the 21st minute, after intervention of the video assistant referee. Despite their dominance, the first half ended without a single shot on target; Mané opened the scoring a few minutes into the second half, following a corner.

Senegal faced Equatorial Guinea in the quarter-finals. The Lions opened the scoring half an hour into the game, by Famara Diédhiou on a pass from Mané; Senegal eventually won 3–1. In the semi-finals, Senegal faced Burkina Faso, winning 3–1 again. In the final, Senegal faced Egypt, who eliminated hosts Cameroon in the semi-finals. In a penalty shoot-out, Mané scored the winning penalty, to bring Senegal its first Africa Cup of Nations title. Senegal returned home and took part in a victory parade that took place in the capital, Dakar. It ended up becoming the biggest party in the country's history.

Senegal faced Egypt twice after the AFCON final, eliminating the Egyptians on penalties after being tied 1–1 on aggregate, to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Mané eliminated his Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah after scoring the winning penalty again. The penalty shoot-out was however full of controversies with lasers being pointed at Egypt's penalty takers and goalkeeper. FIFA fined Senegal's football federation 175,000 Swiss francs as a result of the fan disorder.

For the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Senegal were drawn in Group A along with the hosts Qatar, Ecuador and the Netherlands. Star man Mané missed out due to injury, but Senegal managed to progress from the group nonetheless. Though they lost their first game against the Netherlands 2–0, Senegal went on to claim six points against the hosts and then Ecuador in their final game, progressing to the Round of 16, where they lost 3–0 to England. It marked the second time Senegal had progressed past the group stage, in only their third appearance.

Kit history

Puma has been the manufacturer of Senegal's kits since 2004 (except 2017, when Romai was the manufacturer). The home kit is typically white, and the away kit is green.

La victoire sénégalaise
Supporters wearing the away kit
Kit providers Period
None 1962-1980
Germany Adidas 1980–2000
Italy Erreà 2000–2002
France Le Coq Sportif 2002–2004
Germany Puma 2004–2016
United Arab Emirates Romai 2017
Germany Puma 2018–present

Results and fixtures

Main article: Senegal national football team results (2020–present)

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2023

2024

Coaching staff

Position Name
Head Coach Senegal Pape Thiaw (caretaker)
Assistant Coach Senegal Pape Ibrahim Ndiaye
Assistant Coach II Senegal Alsény Thiam
Goalkeeping Coach Senegal Boubacarr Mbodj
Team Coordinator Senegal Mbaye Seck
Physical Trainer Senegal Ousmane Thioub
Media Officer Senegal Djibril Sarr
Technical Director Senegal Karim Ndour
Team Doctor Senegal Ismaïl Kébé

Coaching history

Aliou Cissé 2018
Aliou Cisse, the current coach of the national team since 2015, is considered the most successful coach in the team's history, leading the team to win the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations and to participate in the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. He was the captain of the team that reached the quarter-finals of the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
Bruno Metsu 2012
Bruno Metsu, coach of the national team between 2000 and 2002, led the team to the final of the 2002 African Nations Cup and to participate for the first time in the FIFA World Cup in 2002, where it reached the quarter-finals.
Manager Period Honours
France Raoul Diagne 1960–1961
France Jules Vandooren 1961–1963
Senegal Habib Bâ
Senegal Lybasse Diop		 1963–1965 Symbol confirmed.svg 1965 Africa Cup of Nations – Fourth place
Senegal Lamine Diack 1965–1968 Symbol confirmed.svg 1968 Africa Cup of Nations – Group stage
West Germany Otto Pfister 1979–1982
Senegal Pape Alioune Diop 1982–1986 Symbol confirmed.svg 1986 Africa Cup of Nations – Group stage
Symbol delete vote darkened.svg 1986 FIFA World Cup – Failed to qualify
Senegal Mawade Wade 1986–1989 Symbol delete vote darkened.svg 1988 Africa Cup of Nations – Failed to qualify
Symbol delete vote darkened.svg 1990 FIFA World Cup – Failed to qualify
France Claude Le Roy 1989–1992 Symbol confirmed.svg 1990 Africa Cup of Nations – Fourth place
Symbol confirmed.svg 1992 Africa Cup of Nations – Quarter-finals
Senegal Lamine Dieng 1992–1993
Senegal Boubacar Sarr 1993–1994 Symbol delete vote darkened.svg 1994 FIFA World Cup – Failed to qualify
Senegal Jules Bocandé
Senegal Boubacar Sarr		 1994–1995 Symbol confirmed.svg 1994 Africa Cup of Nations – Quarter-finals
Symbol delete vote darkened.svg 1996 Africa Cup of Nations – Failed to qualify
Germany Peter Schnittger 1995–2000 Symbol delete vote darkened.svg 1998 Africa Cup of Nations – Failed to qualify
Symbol delete vote darkened.svg 1998 FIFA World Cup – Failed to qualify
Symbol confirmed.svg 2000 Africa Cup of Nations – Quarter-finals
France Bruno Metsu 2000–2002 Symbol confirmed.svg 2002 African Cup of Nations – Runners-up
Symbol confirmed.svg 2002 FIFA World Cup – Quarter-finals
France Guy Stéphan 2002–2005 Symbol confirmed.svg 2004 Africa Cup of Nations – Quarter-finals
Symbol delete vote darkened.svg 2006 FIFA World Cup – Failed to qualify
Senegal Abdoulaye Sarr 2005–2006 Symbol confirmed.svg 2006 Africa Cup of Nations – Fourth place
Poland Henryk Kasperczak 2006–2008 Symbol confirmed.svg 2008 Africa Cup of Nations – Group stage
Senegal Lamine N'Diaye 2008
Senegal Amsatou Fall (caretaker) 2009 Symbol delete vote darkened.svg 2010 Africa Cup of Nations – Failed to qualify
Symbol delete vote darkened.svg 2010 FIFA World Cup – Failed to qualify
Senegal Amara Traoré 2009–2012 Symbol confirmed.svg 2012 Africa Cup of Nations – Group stage
Senegal Karim Séga Diouf
Senegal Aliou Cissé (caretaker)		 2012
Senegal Joseph Koto (caretaker) 2012 Symbol delete vote darkened.svg 2013 Africa Cup of Nations – Failed to qualify
Senegal Mayacine Mar (caretaker) 2012–2013 Symbol delete vote darkened.svg 2014 FIFA World Cup – Failed to qualify
France Alain Giresse 2013–2015 Symbol confirmed.svg 2015 Africa Cup of Nations – Group stage
Senegal Aliou Cissé 2015–2024 Symbol confirmed.svg 2017 Africa Cup of Nations – Quarter-finals
Symbol confirmed.svg 2018 FIFA World Cup – Group stage
Symbol confirmed.svg 2019 Africa Cup of Nations – Runners-up
Symbol confirmed.svg 2021 Africa Cup of Nations – Champions
Symbol confirmed.svg 2022 FIFA World Cup – Round of 16
Symbol confirmed.svg 2023 Africa Cup of Nations – Round of 16
Senegal Pape Thiaw (caretaker) 2024–

Players

Current squad

The following players were called up for the 2025 AFCON qualification matches against Malawi on 11 and 15 October 2024.

Caps and goals updated as of 9 September 2024, after the match against  Burundi.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1GK Seny Dieng (1994-11-23) 23 November 1994 (age 30) 7 0 England Middlesbrough
1GK Mory Diaw (1993-06-22) 22 June 1993 (age 31) 3 0 France Clermont
1GK Cheikh Lô Ndoye (1992-09-21) 21 September 1992 (age 32) 1 0 Senegal Jaraaf
2DF Kalidou Koulibaly (captain) (1991-06-20) 20 June 1991 (age 33) 85 1 Saudi Arabia Al-Hilal
2DF Abdou Diallo (1996-05-04) 4 May 1996 (age 29) 32 2 Qatar Al-Arabi
2DF Ismail Jakobs (1999-08-17) 17 August 1999 (age 25) 21 0 France Monaco
2DF Abdoulaye Seck (1992-06-04) 4 June 1992 (age 33) 15 2 Israel Maccabi Haifa
2DF Moussa Niakhaté (1996-03-08) 8 March 1996 (age 29) 13 0 England Nottingham Forest
2DF Formose Mendy (2001-01-02) 2 January 2001 (age 24) 9 1 France Lorient
2DF El Hadji Malick Diouf (2004-12-28) 28 December 2004 (age 20) 1 0 Czech Republic Slavia Prague
2DF Seydou Sano (2004-10-28) 28 October 2004 (age 20) 1 0 Qatar Al-Gharafa
3MF Idrissa Gueye (1989-09-26) 26 September 1989 (age 35) 115 7 England Everton
3MF Nampalys Mendy (1992-06-23) 23 June 1992 (age 32) 33 0 France Lens
3MF Pape Matar Sarr (2002-09-14) 14 September 2002 (age 22) 26 1 England Tottenham Hotspur
3MF Lamine Camara (2004-01-05) 5 January 2004 (age 21) 25 6 France Monaco
3MF Pape Gueye (1999-01-24) 24 January 1999 (age 26) 24 1 France Marseille
3MF Pathé Ciss (1994-03-16) 16 March 1994 (age 31) 17 0 Spain Rayo Vallecano
3MF Habib Diarra (2004-01-03) 3 January 2004 (age 21) 5 0 France Strasbourg
4FW Sadio Mané (1992-04-10) 10 April 1992 (age 33) 109 44 Saudi Arabia Al-Nassr
4FW Ismaïla Sarr (1998-02-25) 25 February 1998 (age 27) 66 14 England Crystal Palace
4FW Habib Diallo (1995-06-18) 18 June 1995 (age 29) 32 7 Saudi Arabia Al-Shabab
4FW Boulaye Dia (1996-11-16) 16 November 1996 (age 28) 28 6 Italy Lazio
4FW Iliman Ndiaye (2000-03-06) 6 March 2000 (age 25) 22 2 England Everton
4FW Nicolas Jackson (2001-06-20) 20 June 2001 (age 23) 16 0 England Chelsea
4FW Abdallah Sima (2001-06-17) 17 June 2001 (age 23) 8 0 Scotland Rangers
4FW Cherif Ndiaye (1996-01-23) 23 January 1996 (age 29) 2 0 Serbia Red Star Belgrade

Recent call-ups

The following players have also been called up for Senegal in the last twelve months.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Édouard Mendy (1992-03-01) 1 March 1992 (age 33) 40 0 Saudi Arabia Al-Ahli v.  Burundi, 9 September 2024
GK Alfred Gomis (1994-11-23) 23 November 1994 (age 30) 16 0 Italy Palermo 2023 Africa Cup of Nations
GK Pape Mamadou Sy (1997-05-02) 2 May 1997 (age 28) 7 0 Belgium RFC Seraing 2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
GK Bingourou Kamara (1996-10-21) 21 October 1996 (age 28) 2 0 France Pau 2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
GK Alioune Badara Faty (1999-09-03) 3 September 1999 (age 25) 0 0 Democratic Republic of the Congo Mazembe 2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
DF Mikayil Faye (2004-07-14) 14 July 2004 (age 20) 1 1 France Rennes v.  Burundi, 9 September 2024
DF Arouna Sangante (2002-04-12) 12 April 2002 (age 23) 0 0 France Le Havre v.  Mauritania, 9 June 2024
DF Fodé Ballo-Touré (1997-01-03) 3 January 1997 (age 28) 16 0 Italy AC Milan v.  Benin, 26 March 2024
DF Abdoulaye Ndiaye (2002-04-10) 10 April 2002 (age 23) 1 0 France Troyes v.  Benin, 26 March 2024
DF Youssouf Sabaly (1993-03-05) 5 March 1993 (age 32) 32 1 Spain Real Betis 2023 Africa Cup of Nations
DF Pape Abou Cissé (1995-09-14) 14 September 1995 (age 29) 16 1 Turkey Adana Demirspor 2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
DF Ousmane Diouf (1997-04-26) 26 April 1997 (age 28) 7 1 Sudan Al-Hilal 2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
DF Mamadou Sané (2004-12-31) 31 December 2004 (age 20) 7 0 Cyprus Aris Limassol 2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
DF Cheikh Sidibé (1999-04-25) 25 April 1999 (age 26) 7 0 Tanzania Azam 2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
DF Ousseynou Ba (1995-11-11) 11 November 1995 (age 29) 2 0 Turkey İstanbul Başakşehir 2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
DF Noah Fadiga (1999-12-03) 3 December 1999 (age 25) 0 0 Belgium Gent 2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
DF Moussa N'Diaye (2002-06-18) 18 June 2002 (age 22) 0 0 Belgium Anderlecht 2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
DF Mamadou Mbacke (2002-11-21) 21 November 2002 (age 22) 0 0 Spain Barcelona B 2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
MF Dion Lopy (2002-02-02) 2 February 2002 (age 23) 5 0 Spain Almería v.  Mauritania, 9 June 2024
MF Cheikhou Kouyaté (1989-12-21) 21 December 1989 (age 35) 92 4 England Nottingham Forest v.  Benin, 26 March 2024
MF Mamadou Lamine Camara (2003-01-05) 5 January 2003 (age 22) 1 1 Morocco Nahdat Berkane v.  Benin, 26 March 2024
MF Krépin Diatta (1999-02-25) 25 February 1999 (age 26) 42 2 France Monaco 2023 Africa Cup of Nations
MF Joseph Lopy (1992-03-15) 15 March 1992 (age 33) 7 0 France Angers 2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
MF Moustapha Name (1995-05-05) 5 May 1995 (age 30) 6 0 Cyprus Pafos 2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
MF Alassane Ndao (1996-12-31) 31 December 1996 (age 28) 3 0 Turkey İstanbulspor 2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
MF Pape Ousmane Sakho (1996-12-21) 21 December 1996 (age 28) 1 0 France Quevilly-Rouen 2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
MF Rassoul Ndiaye (2001-12-11) 11 December 2001 (age 23) 1 0 France Le Havre 2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
FW Bamba Dieng (2000-03-23) 23 March 2000 (age 25) 20 2 France Lorient v.  Benin, 26 March 2024
FW Amara Diouf (2008-06-07) 7 June 2008 (age 16) 2 0 Senegal Génération Foot v.  Benin, 26 March 2024
FW Famara Diédhiou (1992-12-15) 15 December 1992 (age 32) 27 11 Spain Granada 2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
FW Pape Amadou Diallo (2004-06-25) 25 June 2004 (age 20) 7 2 France Metz 2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
FW Mame Thiam (1992-10-09) 9 October 1992 (age 32) 4 0 Turkey Kayserispor 2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
FW Cheikh Sabaly (1999-03-04) 4 March 1999 (age 26) 1 0 France Metz 2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
FW Demba Seck (2001-02-10) 10 February 2001 (age 24) 1 0 Italy Torino 2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
FW Ibrahima Wadji (1995-05-05) 5 May 1995 (age 30) 0 0 France Saint-Étienne 2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE

DEC Player refused to join the team after the call-up.
INJ Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury.
PRE Preliminary squad.
RET Player has retired from international football.
SUS Suspended from the national team.

Player records

Players in bold are still active with Senegal.

Most appearances

Idrissa Gueye (cropped)
Idrissa Gueye is Senegal's most capped player with 117 appearances.
Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1 Idrissa Gueye 119 7 2011–present
2 Sadio Mané 113 46 2012–present
3 Henri Camara 99 29 1999–2008
4 Cheikhou Kouyaté 92 4 2012–present
5 Kalidou Koulibaly 89 1 2015–present
6 Roger Mendy 87 3 1979–1995
7 Tony Sylva 83 0 1999–2008
8 Jules Bocandé 73 20 1979–1993
9 Lamine Diatta 71 4 2000–2008
10 El Hadji Diouf 70 24 2000–2008

Top goalscorers

Sadio Mané Senegal
Sadio Mané is Senegal's top scorer with 46 goals.
Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Sadio Mané (list) 46 113 0.41 2012–present
2 Henri Camara 29 99 0.29 1999–2008
3 El Hadji Diouf 24 70 0.34 2000–2008
4 Mamadou Niang 20 54 0.37 2002–2012
Jules Bocandé 20 73 0.27 1979–1993
6 Moussa Sow 18 50 0.36 2009–2018
7 Papiss Cissé 17 36 0.47 2009–2015
8 Mamadou Diallo 15 35 0.43 1989–1999
9 Ismaïla Sarr 14 69 0.2 2016–present
10 Moussa Konaté 12 34 0.35 2012–2019

Competitive record

FIFA World Cup

Main article: Senegal at the FIFA World Cup

Senegal have appeared in the finals of the FIFA World Cup on three occasions, in 2002 where they reached the quarter-finals, in 2018, and in 2022.

FIFA World Cup record FIFA World Cup qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA
Uruguay 1930 Part of  France Part of  France
Italy 1934
France 1938
Brazil 1950
Switzerland 1954
Chile 1962 Not a FIFA member Not a FIFA member
England 1966 Withdrew Withdrew
Mexico 1970 Did not qualify 3 1 0 2 2 4
West Germany 1974 2 0 1 1 1 2
Argentina 1978 2 0 1 1 1 2
Spain 1982 2 0 1 1 0 1
Mexico 1986 2 1 0 1 1 1
Italy 1990 Did not enter Declined participation
United States 1994 Did not qualify 8 3 1 4 11 12
France 1998 2 0 1 1 2 3
South Korea Japan 2002 Quarter-finals 7th 5 2 2 1 7 6 Squad 10 5 4 1 16 3
Germany 2006 Did not qualify 10 6 3 1 21 8
South Africa 2010 6 2 3 1 9 7
Brazil 2014 8 3 4 1 11 8
Russia 2018 Group stage 17th 3 1 1 1 4 4 Squad 8 5 3 0 15 5
Qatar 2022 Round of 16 10th 4 2 0 2 5 7 Squad 8 6 1 1 16 5
Canada Mexico United States 2026 To be determined 4 2 2 0 6 1
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total Quarter-finals 3/15 12 5 3 4 16 17 — 74 33 24 16 112 62

Africa Cup of Nations

Main article: Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations

Historically, Senegal was seen as a weaker side in the strong West African region. Although they finished in fourth place in two AFCON editions, Senegalese performance was overall still deemed as poor. Senegal remained under the shadow of West African giants Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Ghana for the majority of the 20th century.

In the 2000s, Senegal began to surge and became a more competitive opponent in the Africa Cup of Nations. Following a successful FIFA World Cup debut in 2002, in which the side reached the quarter-finals, Senegal established itself as a new powerhouse in Africa. The 2002 Africa Cup of Nations tournament marked a defeat to Cameroon 2–3 on penalties after a goalless draw in the final. Senegal once again finished as runners-up in 2019, losing the final 0–1 to Algeria, and finally won their first AFCON title in 2021.

Africa Cup of Nations record Africa Cup of Nations qualification
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA
Sudan 1957 Part of  France Part of  France
United Arab Republic 1959
Ethiopia 1962 Not affiliated to CAF Not affiliated to CAF
Ghana 1963
Tunisia 1965 Fourth place 4th 3 1 1 1 5 2 Squad 4 3 0 1 8 4
Ethiopia 1968 Group stage 5th 3 1 1 1 5 5 Squad 4 2 1 1 9 4
Sudan 1970 Did not qualify 2 0 1 1 5 4
Cameroon 1972 2 0 1 1 1 0
Egypt 1974 2 0 1 1 3 3
Ethiopia 1976 2 0 1 1 5 2
Ghana 1978 4 2 0 2 6 4
Nigeria 1980 Did not enter Did not enter
Libya 1982 Did not qualify 4 1 0 2 4 2
Ivory Coast 1984 4 2 1 0 3 2
Egypt 1986 Group stage 5th 3 2 0 1 3 1 Squad 4 4 0 0 5 2
Morocco 1988 Did not qualify 4 1 3 0 4 0
Algeria 1990 Fourth place 4th 5 1 2 2 3 3 Squad 2 1 1 0 4 1
Senegal 1992 Quarter-finals 5th 3 1 0 2 4 3 Squad Qualified as hosts
Tunisia 1994 Quarter-finals 8th 3 1 0 2 2 3 Squad 6 2 1 3 8 9
South Africa 1996 Did not qualify 8 3 3 2 10 8
Burkina Faso 1998 6 2 2 2 5 6
Ghana Nigeria 2000 Quarter-finals 7th 4 1 1 2 6 6 Squad 4 1 2 1 4 4
Mali 2002 Runners-up 2nd 6 4 2 0 6 1 Squad 4 1 2 1 4 2
Tunisia 2004 Quarter-finals 6th 4 1 2 1 4 2 Squad 6 3 0 1 7 1
Egypt 2006 Fourth place 4th 6 2 0 4 7 8 Squad 10 6 3 1 21 8
Ghana 2008 Group stage 12th 3 0 2 1 4 6 Squad 6 3 2 1 12 3
Angola 2010 Did not qualify 6 2 3 1 9 7
Gabon Equatorial Guinea 2012 Group stage 13th 3 0 0 3 3 6 Squad 6 5 1 0 16 2
South Africa 2013 Did not qualify 2 0 0 2 2 6
Equatorial Guinea 2015 Group stage 9th 3 1 1 1 3 4 Squad 6 4 1 1 8 1
Gabon 2017 Quarter-finals 5th 4 2 2 0 6 2 Squad 6 6 0 0 13 2
Egypt 2019 Runners-up 2nd 7 5 0 2 8 2 Squad 6 5 1 0 12 2
Cameroon 2021 Champions 1st 7 4 3 0 9 2 Squad 6 4 2 0 10 2
Ivory Coast 2023 Round of 16 9th 4 3 1 0 9 2 Squad 6 4 2 0 12 4
Morocco 2025 Qualified 5 4 1 0 8 1
Kenya Tanzania Uganda 2027 To be determined To be determined
2029
Total 1 Title 17/34 71 30 18 23 87 58 — 144 67 31 26 210 96

African Nations Championship

African Nations Championship record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Squad
Ivory Coast 2009 Fourth place 4th 5 1 3 1 3 3 Squad
Sudan 2011 Group stage 10th 3 1 1 1 2 2 Squad
South Africa 2014 Did not qualify
Rwanda 2016
Morocco 2018
Cameroon 2020
Algeria 2022 Champions 1st 6 4 1 1 6 1 Squad
Total Champions 3/7 14 6 5 3 11 6 —

Amílcar Cabral Cup

Amílcar Cabral Cup record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA
Guinea-Bissau 1979 Champions 1st 4 4 0 0 7 1
The Gambia 1980 Champions 1st 4 3 0 1 5 3
Mali 1981 Third place 3rd 4 3 0 1 7 2
Cape Verde 1982 Runners-up 2nd 5 3 1 1 5 1
Mauritania 1983 Champions 1st 5 3 2 0 9 4
Sierra Leone 1984 Champions 1st 5 3 1 1 10 3
The Gambia 1985 Champions 1st 5 4 1 0 8 2
Senegal 1986 Champions 1st 4 4 0 0 7 2
Guinea 1987 Third place 3rd 4 1 1 2 2 2
Guinea-Bissau 1988 Third place 3rd 5 2 3 0 10 5
Mali 1989 Group stage 6th 3 0 2 1 3 4
Senegal 1991 Champions 1st 4 3 1 0 7 0
Sierra Leone 1993 Runners-up 2nd 5 2 1 2 6 3
Mauritania 1995 Group stage 5th 3 1 1 1 5 3
The Gambia 1997 Runners-up 2nd 5 2 2 1 5 3
Cape Verde 2000 Runners-up 2nd 5 1 3 1 8 6
Mali 2001 Champions 1st 4 3 1 0 11 3
Guinea 2005 Runners-up 2nd 4 1 2 1 3 3
Guinea-Bissau 2007 Third place 3rd 4 2 1 1 5 4
Total 8 Titles 19/19 82 45 25 14 123 54

WAFU Nations Cup

WAFU Nations Cup record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA
Nigeria 2010 Runners-up 2nd 5 2 1 2 4 4
Nigeria 2011 Withdrew
Ghana 2013 Runners-up 2nd 4 3 0 1 8 4
Ghana 2017 Group stage 5th 4 1 2 1 5 2
Senegal 2019 Champions 1st 4 3 1 0 7 2
Nigeria 2021 To be determined
Total 1 Title 4/5 17 9 4 4 24 12

Other records

Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA
Senegal 1963 Friendship Games Champions 1st 4 3 1 0 12 3
Niger Jeux de la Francophonie 2005 Runners-up 2nd 6 5 0 1 11 3
Republic of the Congo 2015 African Games Champions 1st 4 2 2 0 5 2
South Africa 2021 COSAFA Cup Runners-up 2nd 6 3 2 1 8 6
South Africa 2022 COSAFA Cup Third place 3rd 3 1 2 0 6 5
Total 2 Titles 1st 23 14 7 2 42 19

Head-to-head record

The list shown below shows the Senegal national football team all−time international record against opposing nations.

As of 19 November 2024 after match against  Burundi.

Key

     Positive balance (more wins than losses)      Neutral balance (as many wins as losses)      Negative balance (more losses than wins)

Honours

Awards

  • African National Team of the Year
    • 1 First place: 2001, 2002, 2007, 2022
    • 2 Second place: 2019
    • 3 Third place: 1985

Summary

Senior Competition 1 2 3 Total
Africa Cup of Nations 1 2 0 3
African Nations Championship 1 0 0 1
Amílcar Cabral Cup 8 5 3 16
WAFU Nations Cup 1 2 0 3
CEDEAO Cup 1 2 1 4
UEMOA Tournament 3 0 0 3
COSAFA Cup 0 1 1 2
Total 15 12 5 32

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Senegal para niños

  • Senegal national under-20 football team
  • Senegal national under-17 football team
  • Football in Senegal
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