- Senegal players received large cash rewards and coastal land plots
- President Diomaye Faye made the pledge during celebrations in Dakar
- The Lions of Teranga beat Morocco 1–0 after extra time in the final
- Rewards were announced despite Senegal facing serious debt pressure
- AFCON champions will also earn prize money from CAF
Thousands of Senegalese filled the streets of Dakar on Tuesday night as the national football team returned home following their Africa Cup of Nations triumph.
The celebrations ended at the presidential palace, where President Bassirou Diomaye Faye addressed the players and supporters during a colourful reception for the Lions of Teranga.
During the ceremony, President Faye announced generous rewards for the players who secured the continental title.
Each of the 28 squad members will receive 75 million CFA francs, which is slightly above $130,000, along with a 1,500 square-metre piece of coastal land.
In total, the cash rewards for players alone amount to over 2.1 billion CFA francs, roughly $3.7 million.
The rewards were not limited to the players.
Members of the Senegal Football Federation will each receive 50 million CFA francs and land measuring 1,000 square metres.
Officials who were part of the delegation to Morocco are set to get 20 million CFA francs and 500 square-metre plots, while staff from the sports ministry will share bonuses worth 305 million CFA francs.
Senegal lifted the AFCON trophy after edging hosts Morocco 1–0 in a tense final decided in extra time.
The match took a dramatic turn late in regular time when Senegal briefly walked off the pitch after a penalty was awarded against them.
After returning, Senegal survived as Morocco failed to convert the spot kick, before Pape Gueye sealed the win with a powerful strike four minutes into extra time.
Earlier in the day, the players paraded through Dakar on an open bus marked “African champions” as fans lined the corniche to cheer them on.
Addressing the team, President Faye praised their unity and discipline, saying they had made the nation proud.
He told the players they had shown what is possible when Senegalese people work together with confidence and focus.
The announcements come at a time when Senegal is under heavy financial pressure.
The International Monetary Fund recently revealed that the country’s debt had reached 132 percent of GDP by the end of 2024, after previously hidden liabilities were uncovered.
As a result, a $1.8 billion IMF support programme was paused, forcing Senegal to turn to regional borrowing to meet its needs. A new IMF mission chief is currently in the country for talks.
This is Senegal’s second AFCON title, having first won the competition in 2021 after defeating Egypt in the final.
At the time, players were awarded 50 million CFA francs and smaller land parcels of 200 square metres, making the latest rewards significantly higher.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe has also confirmed that the 2025 AFCON winners in Morocco will receive $10 million in prize money, adding to Senegal’s overall earnings from the tournament.
