TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations defending champions, Senegal kick off their title defense on Monday, 15 January against The Gambia. 

The Lions of Teranga and The Scorpions officially open what has been deemed as the Group of death in a Group C also consisting of Cameroon and Guinea.

Nothing less than a second consecutive title would a smile on coach Aliou Cisse and his star-studded squad that is touted as one of the tournament favourites with star players such as Sadio Mane in their arsenal. 

Interestingly, no African champion has progressed further than the round of 16 in the last six editions of the competition.  Another interesting fact that favours the defending champions is that they have won their opening game in each of the last four editions.

In The Gambia, Senegal meet one of the underdogs of the competition who are only making their second appearance of the competition. However, this is the same nation that reached the quarter-finals in their inaugural participation in 2021. 

Speaking to CAFOnline upon their arrival, The Gambia coach, Tom Saintfiet said they were aiming to do well in their second appearance and were well prepared for the competition. 

"We are delighted to arrive in Côte d'Ivoire for the second consecutive Africa Cup of Nations. We are well prepared for the competition, and we are ready for the start of the competition. We expect the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Côte d'Ivoire to be special and good, especially with the presence of The Gambia in Group C alongside Senegal, Guinea and Cameroon” 

Kick off at Yamoussoukro’s Charles Konan Banny Stadium is at 14h00 Local Time.