Moussa Niakhate of Senegal during the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers 2026 match between Sudan and Senegal at Martyrs of February Stadium in Benina, Libya on 22 March 2025 /BackpagePix
Monday Dec 22, 2025. 12:00
Senegal will be confident of securing a win when they square off with Botswana in their opening 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on Tuesday.
Kick-off is at 5:00 pm CAT.
The Group D fixture is set to be played at the Tangier Grand Stadium in Tangier, which is a city in northwestern Morocco, on the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.
The Lions of Teranga returned to winning ways in style when they hammered Kenya 8-0 in an international friendly match on November 15, after Brazil had ended the West African giants’ five-game winning streak under head coach Pape Thiaw.
Senegal is one of the favourites to win the AFCON title for what would be the second time, due to their exceptional squad depth, immense talent, impeccable experience, and consistent high-level performances.
“No, I think this is the first AFCON where there won’t be any surprises,” Senegal defender Moussa Niakhate told the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) media.
“The conditions will be so close to what we experience on a daily basis (in Europe), that it will really favour the big nations. Everyone had always hoped for a luxury final four and I think that will be the case for this edition.”
Botswana, on the other hand, extended their winless run to eight matches across all competitions in regulation time when they suffered a 2-1 defeat to Tunisia in an international friendly game on December 18.
The Zebras are making their return to the biggest football tournament in Africa, having featured in the 2012 tournament as debutants and they are hoping to reach the knockout phase for the first time.
“We have achieved our objective. The first thing was to make sure we come here to build a team that will represent us well at the Africa Cup of Nations,” Botswana head coach Morena Ramoreboli told the Botswana Football Association media.
“We have done that in terms of preparations and I believe that we are waiting for the first match to try and do our best.”
In a Head-To-Head record, Senegal and Botswana have met twice across all competitions since their maiden meeting in September 2014.
The Lions of Teranga won both matches with their most recent game ending in a 3-0 win in the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at the Stade Léopold Sédar Senghor in Dakar, Senegal, in November 2024.