Overview
Senegal entered the 2025 AFCON as one of the most experienced teams in Africa. This is their 18th appearance in the final round and their sixth consecutive time since lifting the championship trophy in 2021.
The Teranga Lions team showed their superior strength in the qualifying round, when they were unbeaten in all 6 matches, conceding only one goal, thereby possessing the best defense in the league, equal to Mali.
On the attack front, Senegal showed a clear balance when Sadio Mane and Habib Diarra both scored 3 goals in the qualifiers, reflecting the depth and stability of the squad.
The preparation process for AFCON also brought many positive signals. Senegal had a historic 3-1 victory over England in June 2025, with goals from Ismaila Sarr, Diarra and Cheikh Sabaly. Then there was a 0-2 defeat to Brazil on November 15, 2025, before ending the friendly series with a big 8-0 victory over Kenya.
In the World Cup qualifiers, Senegal also defeated Mauritania and South Sudan in October 2025, before defeating Congo 3-2 in September 2025. In total, in 6 matches, they scored 22 goals and conceded only 4, continuing to affirm their position as a leading candidate.
Historically, Senegal has been particularly reliable in the opening matches of the AFCON, having been unbeaten in 15 of their opening 17 matches and winning all 5 of their most recent matches.
The Senegal squad is built around experienced pillars such as Mane, Sarr and kalidou Koulibaly, while Pape Thiaw will lead the team to AFCON for the first time as head coach.
The upcoming match will also mark the first time Senegal has faced Botswana in the AFCON finals. Previously, Senegal had defeated Botswana twice in the 2015 AFCON qualifiers, with wins of 2-0 away (September 2014) and 3-0 at home (November 2014).
On the other hand, Botswana are in the AFCON for the second time in history, after their last appearance in 2012, where they were eliminated from the group stage after three consecutive losses. Winning a ticket to AFCON 2025 is considered a historic milestone, when Botswana finished second in Group C, with the highlight being a 1-1 draw against Egypt in November 2024 - the official result bringing them to Morocco.
Botswana's recent form has been quite erratic, with a 2-0 win over Somalia (March 2025), defeats to Algeria and Mozambique (September), a narrow loss to Uganda (October), a 2-2 draw with Guinea and a 1-2 friendly loss to Cambodia in December 2025.
Coach Morena Ramoreboli will make history as the first South African strategist to lead another team to the AFCON finals. However, in the face of the challenge named Senegal, Botswana is still looking for its first victory in the tournament, in the context of the gap in experience and class being undeniable.
Expected lineup:
Senegal: Mendy, Diatta, Koulibaly, Niakhate, Diouf, Gueye, Camara, P. Sarr, Ndiaye, Mane, I. Sarr.
Botswana: Kaosipula, Velaphi, Leinanyane, Gaolaolwe, Johnson, Seakanyeng, Mohutiswa, Ditsele, Boy, Sesinyi, ore ore ore.
The match between Senegal and Botswana takes place at 22:00 on December 23 (Vietnam time).
