Senegal's 'historic' AFCON champs honoured with parade, presidential praise

Senegal president Bassirou Diomaye Faye addresses members of Senegal’s national football team upon their arrival in Dakar on January 20, 2026. [AFP]

Senegal's president congratulated the Lions of Teranga Tuesday for their "historic" victory in the Africa Cup of Nations final against Morocco, after tens of thousands of football fans crowded the streets of Dakar for a celebratory homecoming parade.

The players and coaches brandished their trophy from an open-top bus for more than seven hours as they inched their way across the capital and past immense mobs of fans, finally reaching the presidential palace at dusk.