Senegal national football team

Here is a comprehensive summary of the Senegal national football team:

The Senegal national football team, nicknamed Les Lions de la Teranga, represents the West African nation in international football and is governed by the Senegalese Football Federation, which was founded in 1960 following the country's independence. The team made history at the 2002 FIFA World Cup by defeating defending champions France in their opening match, then beating Sweden in extra time to reach the quarter-finals—becoming only the second African team ever to do so—before losing to Turkey. In the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Senegal has been a consistent powerhouse, winning their first title in 2021 and finishing as runners-up in 2002, 2019, and 2025, with their first tournament appearance dating back to 1965. After a 16-year World Cup absence, they qualified for the 2018 tournament, where they beat Poland and drew with Japan but were heartbreakingly eliminated in the group stage on a fair-play tiebreaker. Under manager Aliou Cissé, a veteran of the 2002 squad, Senegal reached the 2019 AFCON final, solidifying their reputation as one of Africa's most formidable and celebrated national teams.