Senegal

Senegal national football team
Senegal National Football Team

National Team Information

World Cup Participation

2002, 2018, 2022

Championships

2021 Africa Cup of Nations

Senegal National Football Team History

Senegal national football team became an independent country in 1960, and they fielded a national soccer team soon after. The Senegal soccer team lost their first-ever match 3-2 to Benin, but they did finish fourth in their first ever appearance in the Africa Cup of Nations in 1965.

After the 1968 version of the tournament, the Senegal national football team wouldn’t qualify for AFCON again until 1986. In the meantime, they did win six Amilcar Cabral Cups; the Amilcar Cabral Cup was a minor tournament for Western African nations. At AFCON ‘86, they won two of their three matches but that still wasn’t enough to finish top-two in their group.

The Lions of Teranga finished fourth at AFCON in 1990, and they also failed to qualify for the World Cup until the 2000s. One of the best years in Senegalese football history came in 2002, when they made the AFCON final but lost in penalties to Cameroon after a scoreless draw. A first Senegal World Cup appearance the same year also produced surprising results.

Bruno Metsu’s Cameroon became just the second African team to make the quarterfinals of the FIFA World Cup. They defeated defending champions France in the group stage and advanced with draws against both Denmark and Uruguay. Senegal won in extra time over Sweden in the round of 16 but lost to Turkey in the quarterfinal.

After finishing fourth at AFCON in 2006, the team went through a decade-long dry spell. During this period, they failed to qualify for the World Cup and failed to get out of their group or missed out on AFCON in five straight tournaments.

The rise of Sadio Mane coincided with the best period in Senegal national football team history as they qualified for their second World Cup in 2018. They beat Poland in the opener and drew with Japan but lost to Colombia in the last group stage match to get eliminated. Then, in 2019 Senegal finished as runners-up in AFCON for the second time in their history. The only two goals they conceded all tournament were against Algeria in both the group stage and the final. Winger Krepin Diatta won the best young player award.

Delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic to 2022, there were high hopes for Senegal at AFCON 2021 in Cameroon. Senegal delivered with dominating defensive performances and didn’t give up a single goal in the group stage as they finished atop their group. The Teranga Lions had to wait until the round of 16 for their first open play goal as Mane scored the opener against Cape Verde. Senegal went on to win 2-0 and comfortably defeated both Equatorial Guinea and Burkina Faso to advance to the final against Egypt.

In a battle between Liverpool teammates Mane and Mo Salah, the match finished without a goal. Mane had a chance to win the game for Senegal but his seventh minute penalty was saved by Egypt’s Mohamed Abou Gabal. In the PK shootout, goalkeeper Edouard Mendy stepped up for Senegal and Mane redeemed himself.

Mendy made a big save on Mohanad Lasheen’s penalty and Mane scored the winner to lead Senegal to their first major trophy. The duo of Mane and Mendy were named the tournament’s best player and goalkeeper, respectively.

Soon after, Senegal defeated Egypt on penalties once again in the playoff round of World Cup 2022 qualification. The win meant Senegal qualified for a second consecutive World Cup for the first time in team history.

Sadio Mane got injured while playing for Bayern Munich and missed the entirety of the 2022 World Cup. Without their main man, Senegal soccer betting was still popular. They sat at -120 odds to advance out of the group and still performed respectably. The Lions of Teranga advanced out of Group A in second place with two wins, over Ecuador and Qatar, and a loss to the Netherlands. In just their second knockout stage appearance in their history, Senegal fell 3-0 to England in the round of 16.

Senegal Flag
Senegal Soccer

Senegal Soccer Leagues & Clubs:

The top Senegalese soccer league is called the Senegal Premier League. There are 14 clubs in the league each season and they play a double round-robin schedule. The champions at the end of the season earn a place in the CAF Champions League. Meanwhile, the bottom two teams are relegated to the second tier.

Senegal Teams – 2022/23 Season
Team
Diambars de Saly
Casa Sport
Guédiawaye FC de Dakar
ASC les Jaraaf de Dakar
AS Dakar Sacré Cœur
Sonacos de Diourbel
Union Sportive Goréenne
Teungueth FC
AS Académie Génération Foot
Stade de Mbour
AS Pikine
ASC La Linguère
AS des Douanes
CNEPS Excellence

Senegal Cups & Tournaments

Senegal Soccer Betting Information

Betting on the Senegal PL

Senegal soccer betting is certainly exotic. Information about the Senegal Premier League online is scarce and you’d be hard-pressed to find a televised match outside of Senegal. Still, bettors may note that it is one of the lowest-scoring domestic leagues in the world. Only 1.7 goals per game were scored in the 2021-22 season and both teams only scored 31 percent of the time. A ridiculously high 87 percent of matches finished with a clean sheet in the 2021-22 season as well.

Betting on totals could potentially be profitable in the Senegal Premier League. In 2021-22, 77 percent of matches finished with two goals or fewer. Also, 1-0 scorelines occurred nearly 20 percent of the time. It’s a draw-heavy league, as one-third of matches finished level. Meanwhile, home teams won 40 percent of the time and away teams won 27 percent of their matches in 2021-22.

Senegal National Team Betting Tips & Odds

Senegal’s national team is on the rise and they’ve qualified for the last two World Cups. Betting tips suggest they could be a contender for the 2023 AFCON title. The tournament, like the 2021 edition, has been delayed and will be played in 2024. Senegal has an interesting blend of established stars and young talent on their roster. Sadio Mane, Kalidou Koulibaly and Edouard Mendy should continue to be key players for the Lions of Teranga over the next few years. Meanwhile, there are young talents like Nicolas Jackson, Pape Matar Sarr, and Bamba Dieng.

Bettors should note that Senegal have made the AFCON final in each of the last two tournaments. They’ve also won a match in each of the three World Cups they’ve appeared in. The Lions of Teranga currently have an all-time record of 5-3-4 in the FIFA World Cup. They should be favored to qualify out of the CAF but the qualifying format in Africa complicates things. Five African teams qualify by winning their groups and winning two-legged playoffs vs. other group winners.

Summary

Not much is known about the Senegal Premier League outside of Senegal but adventurous punters may be intrigued by that fact.

Much more is known about the Senegal national team. The Lions of Teranga are of the best African teams. Senegalese footballers play in leagues all across the world now and many are well-known. If Sadio Mane returns for the 2026 World Cup Odds, Senegal could certainly make a run. In the meantime, they could make some noise in the Africa Cup of Nations.

Senegal FAQS

Is sports betting legal in Senegal?

Despite Senegal being majorly a Muslim country, sports betting is legal and a monopoly of LONASE.

Is in-play betting allowed in Senegal?

Yes, live bets are permitted in Senegal.

Who is the best player in Senegal’s history?

Sadio Mane is Senegal’s all-time leading scorer and is often considered the best Senegalese player in history. The winger helped Senegal win their first major trophy, the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.

What is football called in Senegal?

The most common word in Senegal for football is indeed football.

Which Senegalese team has won the most championships?

With 12 titles, ASC Diaraf are the most successful team in Senegal’s Premier League history.
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