Senegal's Legend Foresees Glory
Former Lions of Teranga star Hajj Diouf expresses strong confidence in his country's title bid.
Diouf, Senegal's football legend, recalled his homeland's historic wins over Brazil and England, stressing that Senegalese players are used to big matches and playing under pressure, before facing host nation Morocco in the AFCON 2025 final on Sunday.
In remarks to the Senegalese channel WIWSport, he said: "Senegal loves this kind of matchups; I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again... you probably remember our Brazil game in Portugal (a 4-2 friendly win), or our friendly against England (a 3-1 Senegal win)."
He added: "These young players are accustomed to playing at very high levels, and I think all the hype is just noise. Look at the substitutes' bench—it's almost another national team. We are calm, confident, and composed, and we will play football and keep delighting the fans."
Morocco outlasted Nigeria in the semi-final on penalties after a goalless draw, while Senegal beat Egypt 1-0.
This final marks the ninth West vs North Africa clash, with each side having won four times, and Senegal meeting the hosts in a CAN final for the first time in its history.
Punchline 1: If this final were a test, Senegal would have already submitted the answer key twice.
Punchline 2: And if football had a travel agency, Morocco would need extra time and a map to find the trophy.
