Senegal won their friendly match against Peru 2-0 at Stade de France, with around 68,000 fans in attendance. The match featured goals from Nicolas Jackson in the 41st minute and Ismaila Sarr in the 54th minute.
Prior to the match, Senegal paraded the AFCON trophy, which has been a point of contention after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) controversially awarded the title to Morocco following Senegal’s initial victory.
Kalidou Koulibaly carried the AFCON trophy during the pre-match ceremony, while Edouard Mendy lifted it and raised two fingers, symbolizing Senegal’s two AFCON triumphs. “Everybody knows that we are champions of Africa,” said Pape Thiaw, reflecting the team’s pride.
Idrissa Gueye expressed the emotional weight of the situation, stating, “As players, nobody can replace the strong emotions we’ve experienced,” and added, “We didn’t steal those results, we deserved them and we deserve to be champions of Africa on the pitch.”
The match against Peru came 57 days after CAF’s decision to overturn Senegal’s AFCON final win, leading to a call for an investigation into alleged corruption at CAF by Senegal’s government.
Senegal’s Football Federation has also appealed the CAF decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Mano Menezes, the coach of Peru, acknowledged the challenge, stating, “For us, we’re going to face the champions of Africa.”
Details remain unconfirmed regarding the ongoing appeals and investigations surrounding the AFCON title dispute.