Senegal hit by champions curse as Cape Verde sail on at AFCON 2023
Senegal were hit by what is now known as the AFCON champions curse as the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations continued to deliver solid entertainment. Since 2010, no AFCON champion has managed to pass the first knockout stage and the Teranga Lions joined the list, falling to the hosts, Ivory Coast.
Habibou Diallo’s early goal had put Senegal on what looked like a smooth passage to the quarterfinals, but the resolute Ivory Coast had other ideas. The team that looked dead and buried five days before this match did not pitch for this game. The Elephants pressed on after going behind and delivered their best performance by far in their home tournament.
The dreams of the Ivory Coast nation were revived when VAR called the referee’s attention to a foul by Eduoard Mendy on Nicolas Pepe. It was a clear penalty, and Franck Kessie stepped up to ignite a night of celebration all across the Ivory Coast.
In the earlier game, Cape Verde sailed into the quarterfinals thanks to a late Ryan Mendes penalty strike. Mauritania bow out with pride, having gone beyond many people’s expectations. The story of how the Mauritania FA worked to get to this point will be told as an example of how good governance can achieve good results. Many African football associations need to follow the Mauritania way, but that’s a story for another day.
