Senegal declares national holiday to celebrate African Cup title

The day after winning the unprecedented African Cup of Nations, Senegal’s players were welcomed this Monday (7th) by thousands of fans who were waiting for their idols to arrive in Dakar, the country’s capital.

Shortly afterwards, the athletes and the coaching staff were received by Senegalese President Macky Sall, at the presidential palace, where they were decorated with the title. A national holiday was also declared on Monday as part of the celebrations after the penalty shootout victory over Egypt.

“There are times when problems [políticos] are set aside to talk about commonplace things in the country,” said President Sall.

A sense of pride took hold of the Senegalese. “It’s an emotion that has no words. I’ve been rooting for this team since I was little. I’ve never seen anything so beautiful. I was so scared, I just prayed,” Waka N’Diaye, 43, told AFP.

“It’s the happiest day of my life. I’ve never been so happy. It’s like I was born for the second time,” said Moussa N’Dao, 27.

The celebration in the streets of Dakar began as soon as the match, played on Sunday (6), ended. Drivers honked their horns while pedestrians waved, creating a long-awaited atmosphere in the country. Until then, the Senegalese had two runners-up in the tournament (2002 and 2019).

“We were eliminated in 1992 [por Camarões, nas quartas]we lost [a final] in 2002, but in 2022 we prevailed and won the African Cup,” a fan told RFI news agency.

Horns, vuvuzelas and fireworks were heard throughout the night in the tiny West African country, where the population dressed in red, yellow and green, the national colors.

One of the most celebrated players was Sadio Mané. After a goalless draw in normal time, shirt 10, who had wasted a penalty in the first minutes of the match, converted his kick into the penalty shootout, a goal that confirmed Senegal’s 4-2 victory and gave the country its first title. continental.