Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has announced substantial financial rewards and land grants for members of the national football team following their Africa Cup of Nations victory over Morocco.
Speaking at a ceremony in Dakar on Tuesday night, Faye said each of the 28 players will receive a bonus of 75 million CFA francs, equivalent to about $135,000, along with a 1,500 square metre plot of coastal land. Thousands of supporters gathered in the capital to welcome the team home, celebrating the country’s latest continental success.
Senegal secured the title with a 1–0 victory over hosts Morocco after extra time. The final was briefly interrupted late in normal time when Senegal walked off the pitch following a controversial penalty decision. After play resumed, Morocco missed the spot kick, before Pape Gueye scored the decisive goal four minutes into extra time.
Earlier in the day, the players paraded through Dakar aboard an open top bus marked “African champions”, travelling along the corniche towards the presidential palace.
The total value of the players’ bonuses amounts to 2.1 billion CFA francs, or roughly $3.7 million. In addition, Faye said members of the Senegalese football federation will receive bonuses of 50 million CFA francs and 1,000 square metre plots of land, while members of the official delegation to Morocco will be awarded 20 million CFA francs and 500 square metre plots.
Staff at the sports ministry are also set to receive bonuses totalling 305 million CFA francs.
The announcements come as Senegal faces mounting economic pressure, with public debt reaching 132 percent of GDP at the end of 2024, according to international financial assessments. An IMF lending programme worth $1.8 billion remains frozen, leaving the government reliant on regional debt markets, while a new IMF mission chief visited the country this week, according to media.
Addressing the players, Faye praised their achievement, saying they had honoured Senegal and demonstrated what can be achieved through unity, discipline, and confidence.
Senegal previously won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2021, when players were awarded smaller bonuses and land plots. Prize money for the latest tournament winner was set at $10 million by African football authorities.