Senegal’s football players will parade through Dakar on Tuesday after winning the Africa Cup of Nations, marking the end of their protracted journey at the country’s presidential palace.
The Senegal players were met by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, and other government officials on a special flight from Morocco shortly before midnight on Monday.
After a chaotic final that saw the eventual champions storm off the pitch late in the game, Senegal claimed the Africa Cup of Nations victory in Rabat on Sunday. Pape Gueye’s extra-time winner sent Morocco home with a 1-0 win.
Read more about Senegal declaring a public holiday following the win of the AFCON.
The team’s “grand parade” will take them through Dakar’s streets, which are covered in national colors, with an official start time of 11:00 am local time and a duration of several hours.
The team’s late arrival at the airport on Monday, which was far behind schedule, may cause delays in the celebrations.
Tens of thousands of people are likely to turn out to watch the route, which will pass through both wealthy and working-class neighborhoods before passing along the city’s famous oceanside highway, the Corniche.
In the late afternoon or evening, the players will be formally welcomed in front of the presidential palace.
After Senegal won, fans poured into Dakar on Sunday night, with loud car horns, fireworks, and the audible roar of vuvuzelas echoed through the city. The raucous celebrations continued for a second night on Monday.
The nation’s newspapers were opulent after the victory, with the headline “Heroic”! Le Soleil’s single-word title was used to describe the triumph, while L’Observateur’s was simply “Unforgettable.”
However, there were some issues with the game.
When, deep into normal play’s match-tied at 0-0, Morocco were awarded a spot-kick following a VAR check by referee Jean-Jacques Ndala for a challenge on Brahim Diaz, the showpiece event of African football was marred by the majority of the Senegal team leaving.
Senegal were already furious that a soft-looking foul minutes earlier had been used to deny a goal.
Senegal’s players eventually returned to the field to see Diaz drop a soft penalty into the arms of their goalkeeper Edouard Mendy as a group of their enraged fans fought with Moroccan security personnel at the other end of the stadium.
The Moroccan FA reported the incidents to FIFA and the Confederation of African Football, including the protests against Senegal players and supporters.
Senegal’s supporters, however, showed no signs of waning on Tuesday as a new chorus of vuvuzelas blared through the morning and residents of Dakar lined up along the parade route with music playing loud and waving flags.
Source: Channels TV
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