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A title defence won't come easy for Senegal as in the history of the competition, only three nations have managed to successfully retain the AFCON title: Egypt (1957, 1959; 2006, 2008, 2010), Ghana (1963, 1965) and Cameroon (2000, 2002).
Defending champions Senegal will get off their quest to retain the Africa Cup of Nations title this with a stout test against Gambia at Stade Charles Konan Banny de Yamoussoukro on Monday.
The Lions of Teranga will want get their campaign on a high to boost their chances in a group featuring five-time champions Cameroon and Nabi Keita's Guinea.
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A title defence won't come easy for Senegal as in the history of the competition, only three nations have managed to successfully retain the AFCON title: Egypt (1957, 1959; 2006, 2008, 2010), Ghana (1963, 1965) and Cameroon (2000, 2002).
They boast a star-studded team that features the likes of Sadio Mane, Nicolas Jackson, Kalidou Koulibaly, Pape Sarr among others.
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22:05 - 14.01.2024
AFCON 2023: We are ready to conquer Africa - Mozambique star after sharing spoils with Egypt
Mozambique played 2-2 against the Pharaohs at the Felix Houphouet Stadium in Abidjan.
Aliou Cisse's side come into the tournament in decent form, winning six of their last 10 matches in all competitions and losing only once in that time.
These two last met in the African Nations Cup back in 2015, which Senegal won 1-0, and with that result, they maintained their unbeaten record against Gambia that dates back to 2008.
On the other hand, Gambia will get their tournament started as the biggest outsiders and the lowest-ranked team in Group C, currently in 29th place among 53 African footballing nations according to FIFA World Rankings.
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08:59 - 14.01.2024
FOOTBALL Arua Hill start restructuring phase, announce new CEO
She comes in as a direct replacement for Pius Bamwange, who served in a similar position last season.
The West Africa side will be making just their second appearance in the AFCON and will have fond memories of their debut tournament (2021) when they pulled off an against-the-odds victory over African powerhouse Tunisia en route to the quarter-finals.
However, the Scorpions' form in the buildup to this competition has been far from impressive, as they faced setbacks with defeats against Burundi and the Ivory Coast in their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign at the end of last year.
Even then, Gambia pose a real threat and will relish the chance to serve as giant killers again in this edition.
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