The Albany Gazette - Senegal poised to party with parade honouring AFCON champs

The Senegal players arrived on a special flight from Morocco shortly before midnight on Monday, where they were greeted by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and other members of the government.

Senegal won the Africa Cup of Nations in Rabat on Sunday, Pape Gueye's extra-time winner sinking hosts Morocco 1-0 after a chaotic final that saw the eventual champions storm off the pitch late in the game.

The team's "grand parade" will take them through the streets of Dakar, which have been decked out in banners with national colours, officially beginning at 11:00 am local time and lasting for several hours.

The start of the celebration may be delayed however, due to the team's late arrival at the airport on Monday well behind schedule.

The route will pass through both working-class and upscale neighbourhoods before travelling along the capital's iconic oceanside highway, the Corniche, with tens of thousands likely turning out to watch.

The players will then be officially received in front of the presidential palace in the late afternoon or evening.

Car horns, fireworks and the deafening roar of vuvuzelas echoed through Dakar on Sunday night after Senegal's victory as fans flooded the streets, with the raucous celebrations continuing for a second night on Monday.

Following the victory, the country's newspapers were ebullient: "Heroic!" Le Soleil wrote as its single-word headline, while L'Observateur simply called the triumph "Unforgettable".

The match, however, was not without controversy.

African football's showpiece event was marred by most of the Senegal team walking off when, deep into injury time of normal play and with the match locked at 0-0, Morocco were awarded a spot-kick following a VAR check by referee Jean-Jacques Ndala for a challenge on Brahim Diaz.

Senegal were already furious at having a goal disallowed for a soft-looking foul minutes earlier.

As a group of their enraged fans fought with Moroccan security personnel at the other end of the stadium, Senegal's players eventually returned to the pitch to see Diaz shoot a soft penalty into the arms of their goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.

The Moroccan FA said it had referred the incidents, including protests from Senegal players and fans, to the Confederation of African Football and FIFA.

But Senegal's fans seemed unphased on Tuesday, as a new chorus of vuvuzelas broke through the morning and the citizens of Dakar lined up along the parade route, music blaring, flags waving.

(T.Martin--TAG)