Senegal President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has announced major financial rewards and coastal land plots for each member of the national football team following their recent triumph in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final.
The generous rewards were unveiled during a festive ceremony in the capital, Dakar, on Tuesday evening, as thousands of enthusiastic fans took to the streets to welcome the “Lions of Teranga.”
The team secured a dramatic 1–0 victory over Morocco after extra time in a match marked by controversy, when Senegal temporarily walked off the pitch after a penalty was awarded against them during stoppage time.
Morocco subsequently missed the penalty, before Pape Gueye sealed the trophy with a superb strike just four minutes into extra time. Earlier on Tuesday, the players paraded along Dakar’s coastline on a bus bearing the inscription “Champions of Africa,” heading toward the presidential palace.
Each of the 28 squad members will receive 75 million CFA francs (approximately £106,000) as well as coastal land plots measuring 1,500 square meters.
In total, the rewards for the players amount to 2.1 billion CFA francs, or roughly £3.1 million.
Additional rewards include 50 million CFA francs and 1,000-square-meter land plots for members of the Senegalese Football Federation, while the Senegalese delegation in Morocco will receive 20 million CFA francs and 500-square-meter plots. Staff from the Ministry of Sports are also expected to benefit from bonuses totaling 305 million CFA francs.
These significant expenditures come at a time when Senegal is facing a substantial national debt, which according to International Monetary Fund (IMF) projections is expected to reach 132% of Gross Domestic Product by the end of 2024.
The current administration has uncovered billions in debts that were reportedly not declared by the previous government, prompting the IMF to freeze a $1.8 billion lending program and forcing Senegal to rely heavily on regional debt auctions. This week, a new IMF mission chief visited Senegal for preliminary talks.
