Senegal

National Team Information
Senegal National Football Team History
The Beginnings
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.
Second African Team in FIFA World Cup Quarterfinals
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.
Best Period in Senegalese Football
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.
Senegal's First Mayor Trophy
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.
Qatar World Cup Appearance
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.
- Sadio Mane –Goals: 29
- Henri Camara – Goals: 29
- El Hadji Diouf – Goals: 24
- Mamadou Niang – Goals: 20
- Jules Bocande – Goals: 20
Sadio Mane is Senegal’s all-time leading scorer who figures to add a few more goals to his tally before he hangs up his boots. He’s been a Champions League, Premier League, FA and League Cup winner with Liverpool and is arguably one of the best players in the world.
The winger has elevated Senegal’s level and is part of a golden generation of Senegalese players. Edouard Mendy is relatively new to the international scene, but he’s made a name for himself in just a few short years. The goalie has won a Champions League with Chelsea and led Senegal to their first ever AFCON win.
Kalidou Koulibaly is one of the best center backs in the world and he spearheads an impressive Senegal defense. He is nearly impossible to beat in 1v1 situations and cuts an imposing figure on the field.
Before Mane, there was Henri Camara. Camara is the second leading goalscorer in national team history, and his goals against Sweden in the 2002 World Cup will not be forgotten.
Papa Bouba Diop was a complete midfielder who could defend, distribute and pitch in with a goal or two when needed. He was a massive part of Senegal’s 2002 team along with El-Hadji Diouf, who seemed to have limitless potential that he never quite lived up to.
Senegal national football team best performance at a World Cup happens to be their first ever appearance at the tournament. The late Papa Bouba Diop was the hero as Senegal shockingly defeated Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, Marcel Desailly and France in the opener at South Korea/Japan 2002.
The Teranga Lions held on for a 1-1 draw in the next match vs. Denmark as Salif Diao scored the equalizer but was sent off with ten minutes to play. Leading 3-0 vs. Uruguay in the final group stage game as Bouba Diop scored twice, it looked like Senegal would top their group, however, Uruguay scored three unanswered goals to level the match and Senegal finished second behind Denmark. That set up a round of 16 fixture vs. Henrik Larsson and Sweden.
In the 37th minute, Striker Henri Camara canceled out an early Larsson goal and the match remained at 1-1 through 90 minutes. Camara got his double in extra time and cemented his legacy by sending Cameroon through to the quarterfinals. They’re still one of just three African teams to make the last eight, where they lost to Turkey in extra time.
Senegal national football team only other previous tournament appearance was in 2018 and it was far from a disaster. Mbaye Niang was the matchwinner as Senegal defeated Poland in the opener. Minutes away from defeating Japan in the next match and clinching qualification to the round of 16, Keisuke Honda equalized to make it 2-2.
A final match draw would have been enough to see Senegal through but Yerry Mina’s header gave Colombia the win. Senegal and Japan were level on points, goal difference, goals for and goals allowed and unfortunately the tiebreaker came down to yellow cards. So, Senegal were eliminated in the group stage for the first time at a World Cup.
After finishing in second place at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, Senegal came into AFCON 2021 with high expectations. The tournament was delayed until 2022 due to the COVID pandemic and it seemingly didn’t affect Senegal. A late Sadio Mane penalty gave Senegal an opening 1-0 win over Zimbabwe. That ended up being the only goal in any of their group-stage matches as they played Guinea and Malawi to scoreless draws.
Five points was enough for Senegal to finish on top of their group and they faced Cape Verde in the round of 16. Mane and Bamba Dieng got on the scoresheet in the 2-0 win. Following four straight clean sheets, Senegal finally gave up a goal in the quarterfinals. Still, they defeated Equatorial Guinea 3-1 to advance. All of the scoring in the semifinal match vs. Burkina Faso was done in the 70th minute or later. Senega won 3-1 again to set up a final vs. Mo Salah and Egypt. After a hard fought 0-0 draw Sadio Mane scored the winning penalty as Senegal won 4-2 in a shootout. Mane was named the tournament’s best player and Edouard Mendy was named the best goalkeeper. En route to their first-ever major trophy, Senegal conceded just two goals.
Just ten years earlier, Senegal had their worst-ever performance at a major tournament. At AFCON 2012, a talented Senegal team dropped all three of their matches. The Lions of Teranga scored in all three matches but lost by a 2-1 scoreline in each. They weren’t in a particularly challenging group either, as they fell to Zambia, Equatorial Guinea and Libya.

Senegal Soccer Leagues & Clubs:
Senegal Premier League:
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 2022-2023 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
The Senegal FA Cup is another popular competition for Senegal soccer betting. It’s the top knockout tournament in Senegal and has been held since 1961. The winner earns a berth in the CAF Confederation Cup.
Senegal’s soccer teams also compete in the Senegalese League Cup. The tournament is only open to teams from the top two divisions of Senegalese soccer. It has been played since 2009.
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.