How Did Senegal Qualify for World Cup 2022?

The year 2022 has been a lucky year for the Senegal national football team. Having been able to win the Africa Cup of Nations and earned a spot in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the Lions of Teranga have been a formidable force on the worldwide football stage in recent years. 

In this article, we will elaborate on the journey of Senegal before they have been qualified for the Qatar event and how strong they are as a team.

How many times has Senegal played in the World Cup?

Senegal has been trying to qualify for the FIFA World Cup ever since their establishment. However, they’ve only been given a chance three times to qualify for the tournament proper including their recent inclusion in the 2022 edition. Their world cup 2022 odds are also promising.

Their first appearance in the World Cup was in 2002, and in that year, they reached the quarter-finals where they lost to Turkey by 1-0. The second time that Senegal appeared in the World Cup was in the 2018 edition but unfortunately, they lost to Colombia by 1-0.

How did Senegal win over Egypt in the World Cup qualifiers?

The finals of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations are considered one of the iconic moments in recent football history. The match was held between Senegal and Egypt on February 6 where the former was hailed the champions of the African qualifiers for the World Cup.

The element that made the match iconic is the fact that two of the best players from both sides are playing for the same English club. Sadio Mane who is Senegal’s best player and Mohamed Salah who is Egypt’s finest are teammates at Liverpool FC. 

Despite the aggressiveness of Egypt in the beginning of the game, Senegal took advantage of the situation by sending Sadio Mane in the penalty shootout providing Senegal a chance to travel to Qatar in November. This has boosted the world cup 2022 odds of Senegal winning the event.

Have they ever won a World Cup?

As of writing, the FIFA World Cup finals have been played 21 times and the title was only won by eight nations so far. The World Cup title has only been won by either a country from Europe or a country from South America. 

No country from Asia, North America, Oceania, and Africa has ever won the World Cup which means Senegal has never won the World Cup. However, the world cup 2022 odds could guarantee that this time around, the winners will be from these regions.

How many African teams qualified for 2022? The answer is 5, including this article’s subject.

Will they Win the 2022 World Cup?

In the group stage of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Senegal was included in the Group A which also includes Ecuador, the Netherland, and the host nation, Qatar. 

In this grouping, the most highly anticipated match was between Qatar and Senegal. The reason is that both teams have been the champions of their continental football championships with Senegal winning the Africa Cup of Nations and Qatar winning the AFC Asian Cup. 

Just like the Africa Cup of Nations, Sadio Mane became instrumental in providing the Senegalese national football team a lucky spot in the 2022 World Cup. Having made the decisive goal that made Senegal the new African champions are enough for the team to navigate their way through the group stage.

While Senegal could be a strong contender in the group stage, the real challenge begins when the team gave off the World Cup heavyweights such as France, Brazil, England, Argentina, Germany, and Spain, who all have profitable world cup 2022 odds. Either way, it is highly unlikely for Senegal to claim the championship title at this point of the tournament.

The Lions of Teranga have been a formidable opponent in international football tournaments. While they have a strong form and lineup including their football superstar, Sadio Mane; it is still too early to determine the fate of Senegal in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Try your luck now by betting on the World Cup and boosting the contents of your bankroll!