Dakar “explodes” with Senegal’s first ever AFCON title

The moment Sadio Mane’s fifth penalty kick touched the back of the net in the finals of the 2022 Afcon, the entire city of Dakar “exploded” with an instant uproar of joyous shouts.

Geeby Diallo, DNT’s Dakar correspondent could barely find his voice over the phone as he relayed the jubilation to DNT. He could only manage “do you hear the voice?”

     

Like every finals game of any worthwhile tournament, one city jubilates while another cries. In Cairo, it was a different story.

Tears flowed, on the field, in the red section of the stands in Younde’s Olembe Stadium, and on the field where players had difficulty controlling their emotions.

In a display of superb sportsmanship, victor Sadio Mane was seen comforting his vanquished Liverpool team mate Mohamed Salah.

 

Back in Dakar, the jubilation had even began to record injuries with one young man falling off a table at a bar. The sentimental favorites did it.

With Egypt having won seven AFCON titles – the most by any country – virtually the entire continent with the exception of Egypt was rooting for Senegal, the one recent football super power which has yet to win its first.

Report and pictures from Geeby Dialo – DNT Dakar Correspondent.

 

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