Senegal’s presence in the final of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 is not an accident — it is the result of a long, painful, and ultimately rewarding journey.
For decades, the Lions of Teranga were admired for talent but haunted by missed opportunities. Today, they arrive in Rabat as one of Africa’s most reliable tournament teams, shaped by experience, resilience and belief.
A final story written in chapters
Sunday’s showdown against Morocco will be Senegal’s fourth AFCON final, placing them among an elite group of nations that have learned how to return to the biggest stage.
Their first appearance came in 2002, when they stunned the continent en route to the final, only to lose on penalties to Cameroon after a goalless draw.
Seventeen years later, history repeated itself in 2019, when Senegal again reached the final — this time falling 1–0 to Algeria after just two minutes.
Those two defeats forged scars, but also steel.
Redemption at last in 2021
Senegal’s long wait ended in 2021, when they defeated Egypt on penalties to lift their first-ever AFCON title.
That night in Yaoundé was about more than silverware. It was proof that Senegal had learned how to survive finals — how to manage nerves, absorb pressure, and win when margins disappear.
Crucially, that victory came after another 0–0 draw, reinforcing Senegal’s growing reputation as a team comfortable in tense, low-scoring showpieces.
Familiar territory: tight finals, tiny margins
The numbers tell a remarkable story.
Only one goal has been scored across Senegal’s last three AFCON finals, all decided either by penalties or a single strike.
That pattern continues at AFCON 2025. Senegal have conceded just two goals in six matches, kept multiple clean sheets, and edged through knockout games with discipline rather than spectacle.
They do not need chaos to win finals. They thrive in control.
Experience meets hunger
What separates this Senegal side is balance.
Veterans like Sadio Mané, Edouard Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly bring finals experience, while a new generation adds energy, tactical maturity and hunger.
They have now reached the final in three of the last four AFCON editions, a level of consistency previously reserved for Egypt and Cameroon.
This is no longer a team chasing history — it is a team defending its place at the top table.
A new challenge awaits
Yet one challenge remains untested.
Senegal have never faced a host nation in an AFCON final. Rabat will be hostile, emotional and intense — a very different environment from Yaoundé or Cairo.
But if Senegal’s journey has taught them anything, it is that finals are not about noise, dominance or beauty.
They are about patience.
And Senegal have learned that lesson the hard way.
