Senegal forward Sadio Mane (left) and French skipper Kylian Mbappe.
In New Jersey
After the fiasco of no African team qualifying for the knock-out stage of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the continent bounced back four years later with two of its five representatives getting out of the group – Morocco and Senegal.
With an expanded 48-team tournament this edition, all 10 African sides are fancying their chances of at least getting to the newly introduced round of 32.
Africa’s first representative in action, South Africa, endured an opening to forget as they fell 2-0 to Mexico at the Mexico City Stadium on June 9.
The continent’s top-ranked nation Morocco, exhibited tinges of their 2022 form on Tuesday with a cocky outing against an out-of-sorts five-time champions Brazil in a key Group C clash that ended 1-1 and put the Atlas Lions in a good position to fight for the group leadership.
Two African sides were in action on Sunday, a hard-fighting Cote d’Ivoire seeing off the stiff challenge of a Moises Caicedo-powered Ecuador 1-0 in Group E at Houston Stadium, while Tunisia went down 5-1 to Sweden to all but confirm their elimination in Group F. The other members of the group are three-time finalists, the Netherlands and Asian leaders Japan.
Tonight from 10 pm (Kenyan time)
Senegal's Sadio Mane lifts the Africa Cup of Nations trophy surrounded by his with teammates after beating hosts Morocco 1-0 in the final at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat on January 18, 2026
’s Teranga Lions will table their credentials as an African force at the world stage. Senegal will be seeking a repeat of their 1-0 win over then-champions France in the opening match of the 2002 Fifa World Cup co-hosted by South Korea and Japan.
On that occasion, Senegal beat France with a 30th-minute goal by Papa Bouba Diop in what is still remembered as one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history.
But what a test they face against tournament co-favourites France at the 82,500-capacity MetLife Stadium here in New York.
The region of New York may have had its attention divided between football and basketball on Saturday night, but today it will not afford to miss this fascinating-looking encounter. And New York is also known to have a sizeable number of European French expatriates whose loyalty is not in doubt.
Les Bleus, featuring the likes of Bradley Barcola, Rayan Cherki, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise, are easily one of the best talented side in the tournament, player for player, would best be informed of how a similarly talented French side fell to a shock 1-0 loss to a Senegalese side given little chance in 2002 in South Korea/Japan.
Senegal coach Pape Thiam played in the 2002 World Cup as a forward and will have something to say to the current crop of Teranga Lions players.
Senegal and the talismanic Sadio Mane have been quietly training at their team base at Rutgers University in Piscataway, New Jersey, just a stone's throw away from MetLife Stadium and may have been encouraged by the noise they overheard on Saturday.
France said the 2-1 loss to Cote d’Ivoire in a build-up match on June 4 was a reminder of what to expect at the World Cup.
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