* Following that between Bafana Bafana and Mexico yesterday, which was a repeat of their meeting during the South Africa 2020 edition
* The Lions of Teranga shocked the then defending champions France with a famous 1-0 victory in the South Korea 2002 finals
* We can’t deny that there’s a history between France and Senegal that will make this match something more exciting. It’s going to be great—Kylian Mbappe
By Duncan Mlanjira
Yesterday’s opening match of the FIFA World Cup™ 2026 between Bafana Bafana and Mexico was a case of déjà vu of the script of South Africa 2010 edition hosted by the African continent for the first time-ever and another is set between Senegal and France on Tuesday.
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It was 16 years ago that South Africa met Mexico, which the hosts scored first in the 55th minute before the South American nation cancelled the lead and ended 1-1. In yesterday’s match, the co-hosts won-2-0-in-a-match-they-first-scored-in-the-9th-minute-before-increasing-the-lead-after-Bafana-were-reduced-to-10-men-in-the-second-half.
Now 14 years later, it’s a déjà vu for Senegal and France played in Seoul in which the Lions of Teranga were participating for the first time-ever and against their former colonial masters.
The Lions of Teranga shocked the then defending champions France with a famous 1-0 victory in Seoul, through a goal scored by midfielder Papa Bouba Diop in the 30th minute, bundling the ball over the line from close range following a scramble in the penalty box.
It set a wild celebration across Africa as France assembled a top-notch squad that included great world stars such as goalkeeper Fabien Barthez; Lilian Thuram, Frank Leboeuf, captain Marcel Desailly, Bixente Lizarazu in defence; Patrick Vieira, Emmanuel Petit, Youri Djorkaeff in midfield; and forwards Sylvain Wiltord, David Trezeguet and Thierry Henry in a 4-3-3 formation.
In a 4-1-4-1 under charismatic French coach, Bruno Metsu, Senegal First XI had Tony Sylva in goals; Ferdinand Coly, Lamine Diatta, Papa Malick Diop, Omar Daf; captain Aliou Cissé; Moussa N’Diaye, Papa Bouba Diop, Salif Diao, Khalilou Fadiga; and lone striker El Hadji Diouf.
France’s star playmaker Zinedine Zidane missed the match due to a thigh injury, which the French media reported that it severely crippled the creativity of the French midfield.
France had their moments to scored but hit the woodwork twice through David Trezeguet in the first half and Thierry Henry in the second half while Senegal’s Khalilou Fadiga also struck the crossbar.
The defending champions failed to score a single goal in the tournament and were embarrassingly eliminated in the group stage with just one point, while the Lions of Teranga, in their debut FIFA World Cup, advanced from the group and went on a historic run to the quarter-finals, where they were finally knocked out by Turkey.
The image of the Teranga Lions dancing around Diop’s jersey at the corner flag became an iconic World Cup moment and the triumph was wildly celebrated across Africa, who are expecting the Lions of Teranga to replicate their dominance this time around in New York.
Ahead of Tuesday’s match, Frashscore News reports that France is wary of Senegal with forward Kylian Mbappe labeling their opponents as ‘a great team’, saying: “The World Cup is full of exciting matches, we’re playing against the African champions, I don’t even know if it’s them or not (laughs) since Morocco is also playing. We’ll stay out of that (laughs),” the Real Madrid star told French television channel M6 as quoted by Wiw Sport.
“It’s great to start like this. We can’t deny that there’s a history between France and Senegal, so there’s a history that will make this match something more exciting. It’s going to be great.
“The match is at 9pm in France, the children won’t be in bed yet, so it’s up to us to start well. It can allow us to dispel any initial doubts because there will be anxiety among quite a few people, not among us, but among some. It will also give us those 3 points.”
France are a global powerhouse, who won the tournament in 1998 and 2018, while reaching the final in 2006 and 2022, while Senegal have established themselves as one of Africa’s top teams, qualifying for four World Cups (2002, 2018, 2022, and 2026).
Former Senegal coach Alain Giresse is quoted by Frashscore News that he is backing the Lions of Teranga to at least go past the group stages of the global showpiece, saying: “I think that from one World Cup to the next, Africa is moving forward and progressing.
“As you said, it was Morocco that reached the semi-finals in the last edition in Qatar. With 10 qualified countries, the possibility of taking even more nations to the semi-finals exists; we have to take it one step at a time.
“I think that one day, an African country will play in the final. If we’re talking about Senegal, it has the potential to at least reach the semi-finals. Of course, we know there can be unforeseen events during matches, but intrinsically, the potential is there.
“We see that African teams are increasingly displaying a level that is approaching the top and the best rankings in the world. Beyond Senegal, Morocco, Algeria, South Africa, and even the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) can achieve great results.
“In any case, if these countries are there, it’s because they are among the best nations in Africa,” Girese is quoted as saying.
Senegal’s other opponents are Norway, whom they meet on June 22 before winding up their group stage matches against Iraq on June 26.—Reporting for Frashscore News by Dennis Mabuka
Group stage results and next fixtures
June 11
Group A
Mexico 2-0 South Africa
Today June 12
Group A
South Korea v Czechia
Group B
Canada v Bosnia and Herzegovina
June 13
Group D
USA v Paraguay
Group B
Qatar v Switzerland
June 14
Group C
Brazil v Morocco
Haiti v Scotland
Group D
Australia v Turkiye
Group E
Germany v Curacao
Group F
Netherlands v Japan
June 15
Group E
Côte d’Ivoire v Ecuador
Group F
Sweden v Tunisia
Group H
Spain v Cape Verde
Group G
Belgium v Egypt
June 16
Group H
Saudi Arabia v Uruguay
Group G
Iran v New Zealand
Group I
France v Senegal
June 17
Group I
Iraq v Norway
Group J
Argentina v Algeria
Austria v Jordan
Group K
Portugal v DR Congo
Group L
England v Croatia
June 18
Group L
Ghana v Panama
Group K
Uzbekistan Vs Colombia
Group A
Czechia v South Africa
Group B
Switzerland v Bosnia & Herzegovina
June 19
Group B
Canada v Qatar
Group A
Mexico v South Korea
Group D
USA v Australia
June 20
Group C
Scotland v Morocco
Brazil v Haiti
Group D
Turkiye v Paraguay
Group F
Netherlands v Sweden
Group E
Germany v Côte d’Ivoire
June 21
Group E
Ecuador Vs Curacao
Group F
Tunisia v Japan
Group H
Spain v Saudi Arabia
Group G
Belgium v Iran
June 22
Group H
Uruguay v Cape Verde
Group G
New Zealand v Egypt
Group J
Argentina v Austria
June 23
Group I
France v Iraq
Norway v Senegal
Group J
Jordan v Algeria
Group K
Portugal v Uzbekistan
Group L
England v Ghana
June 24
Group L
Panama v Croatia
Group K
Colombia v DR Congo
Group B
Bosnia & Herzegovina v Qatar
Switzerland Vs Canada
June 25
Group C
Morocco v Haiti
Scotland Vs Brazil
Group A
Czechia v Mexico
South Africa v South Korea
Group E
Ecuador v Germany
Curacao Côte d’Ivoire
June 26
Group F
Tunisia v Netherlands
Japan v Sweden
Group D
Paraguay v Australia
Turkiye v USA
Group I
Norway v France
Senegal v Iraq
June 27
Group H
Uruguay Spain
Cape Verde v Saudi Arabia
Group G
New Zealand v Belgium
Egypt v Iran
June 28
Group L
Panama v England
Croatia v Ghana
Group K
DR Congo v Uzbekistan
Colombia v Portugal
Group J
Jordan v Argentina
Algeria v Austria