Approximately one hour before kickoff, captain Kalidou Koulibaly and his teammates carried the AFCON trophy onto the field for an honorary parade. This followed a performance by renowned Senegalese singer Youssou N'Dour. The Stade de France stands, nearly full, erupted as the team appeared, showcasing strong fan support.

Before the match, close to 200 Senegal fans gathered in front of the Basilica of Saint-Denis, then marched to the stadium accompanied by drums and traditional instruments. Saint-Denis Mayor Bally Bagayoko briefly joined the procession.

"Welcome to Saint-Denis. You are the pride of working-class neighborhoods, which are often discriminated against and looked down upon. Today, Africa is united, all standing behind Senegal," he stated.

Senegal secured a 2-0 victory over Peru, with goals from Nicolas Jackson and Ismaila Sarr. The team even wore new jerseys featuring two stars on their logo, symbolizing their 2021 AFCON title and the title they believe they won this year.

On 17/3, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced a 3-0 victory for host Morocco in the final, rejecting Senegal's actual 1-0 win in January and recognizing the North African representative as the 2026 African champion.

Before the match against Peru, head coach Pape Thiaw asserted that Senegal remains the true African champion, despite CAF's ruling. "We know we are the African champions. The title must be decided on the field, and we did that," he said.

This week, Senegal filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Despite their dissatisfaction, Thiaw emphasized the team's need to focus on performance and avoid getting drawn into controversy. After the win against Peru, Senegal will play another friendly against Gambia in Dakar on 31/3.

Senegal also has a friendly match against the United States on 31/5 before participating in the 2026 World Cup, where they are grouped with France, Norway, and a play-off winner.

Hong Duy (according to The Guardian)