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FootballReigning African Champions Senegal Arrive in Abidjan After All White Themed Send Off: Video
- Senegal are the latest team to arrive in Cote D'Ivoire for AFCON 2023
- The champions will be based in Yamoussoukro for their group games
- The Lions of Teranga will face Gambia in their AFCON Group C opener
The Senegalese national team has arrived in Ivory Coast in crisp style ahead of the defence of their Africa Cup of Nations title.
Led by new husband and Al-Nassr star, Sadio Mane, the team touched down in Abidjan in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
The AFCON title holders will immediately travel to Yamoussoukro, where they will be based for all of their Group C matches.
In a video shared on social media, the players and technical team were spotted in their matching all-white African wear as they descended from the plane.
Before leaving Dakar on Tuesday evening, the team met President Macky Sall, who charged them to go out and defend the AFCON title they won two years ago.
Senegal had been camping in Dakar for the past two weeks and signed off their preparations with a friendly game against Niger. They won that game 1-0, thanks to a late strike by Formose Mendy.
The Teranga Lions will open their AFCON campaign with a game against West African neighbours, The Gambia, on January 15, as reported by Sky Sports, before taking on Cameroon and Guinea.
Sadio Mane marries ahead of AFCON
Sports Brief also previously reported on Mane marrying long-term partner, Aisha Tamba in a lovely wedding ceremony in Dakar on January 7.
The beautiful event was said to have been attended by friends, family, former players, and current members of the Senegal national team.
The Al-Nassr star also returned home to rejoin his teammates as the African champions launched their training camp ahead of AFCON 2023.
Mane builds stadium in hometown
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FootballSports Brief also reported that Mane continued his development in Senegal by building a new stadium for the people of his hometown.
The forward had returned home to formally open the facility in Bambali before joining his teammates in training for the AFCON tourney.
In 2022, the former Liverpool competed on a rural pitch in his home village and at the time, had vowed to return to make a change.