2025 African Cup of Nations handover ceremony: the entire speech of President Bassirou Diomaye Faye
This Tuesday, January 20, 2026, the official ceremony of handing over the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, won by Senegal against Morocco (1-0, after extra time), to the President of the Republic Bassirou Diomaye Faye took place at the Palais de la République. We offer you the entire speech of the Head of State:
– Mr. President of the National Assembly;
– Mr Prime Minister;
– Madam Minister of Youth and Sports;
– Ladies and Gentlemen, Members of the Government;
– Excellency, ladies and gentlemen, members of the diplomatic corps;
– Mr. President of the Senegalese National Olympic and Sports Committee;
– Mr. President of the Senegalese Football Federation;
– Ladies and gentlemen, members of the administrative, medical and technical management;
– Dear Pope THIAW, National coach;
– Dear Kalidou KOULIBALY, Captain of the national team;
– Dear Lions of Téranga;
– Valiant supporters of the national team;
– Partners and friends of the press;
– Honorable guests;
– Ladies and Gentlemen,
A little over a month ago, on December 17, 2025, I proceeded, on behalf of the Senegalese people, to the official delivery of the national flag to our valiant Lions leaving for CAN 2025, in Morocco.
It was a strong moment of communion, of commitment of patriots, ready to take on the challenges and to once again raise the national flag at the summit of African football.
You respected this commitment throughout this competition, through your courage, your determination and your sense of individual and collective sacrifice.
During my first outing to commune with the Senegalese who came to celebrate your coronation in front of the gates of the Presidential Palace, I declared that “we saw men of duty on the ground, patriots who were not fighting for a title or a record, but who were fighting for our honor and our dignity”.
You have demonstrated exceptional sporting combativeness, extraordinary resilience and a mentality of steel, and this is why your coronation is historic in view of the emotions and trials endured throughout the competition, particularly during the final of this CAN.
The popular jubilation which followed your brilliant victory throughout the territory and outside the country, and the warm welcome that the Senegalese people gave you, are social markers of recognition, and of the immense joy of our compatriots.
Today you are back. And this mission is fully accomplished.
Dear Lions,
Your journey in this African Cup of Nations has not been easy. He was harsh, disputed, demanding. Every match was a fight. Each victory was constructed, mastered. You faced very high level opponents, in a competition where nothing is given, where everything is won. And in these moments when fatigue weighs, when pressure sets in, you held on, you were resilient.
You held on because you made the collective choice, espoused the team spirit. Because everyone accepted their place, played their role fully and assumed all their responsibility. Because the common interest always takes precedence over all other considerations.
You held on through discipline, through solidarity, through self-control.
The final that you won will remain as a reference match: intense, committed, fought until the end; a match that required talent, lucidity and exceptional mental strength.
You responded, seriously, with courage, with character.
At the final whistle, Senegal exploded with joy. An immense, deep, shared joy.
A joy born from the effort made, the journey traveled and the certainty that this victory is deserved.
This joy has transcended our borders. Senegalese people here, but also from the diaspora, vibrated, suffered, hoped with you.
They exulted together, in our cities, in African capitals, in Europe, in America, in Asia, wherever a Senegalese heart beats.
That evening, Senegal was not just a victorious country.
They were a people gathered around the same enthusiasm, the same pride, the same objective achieved through shared effort.
It is time to thank all the people, the numerous personalities, across the world who celebrated this magnificent victory with the Senegalese people.
Dear players,
By winning this continental title, you gave Senegal a new star.
But beyond the trophy, you offered a benchmark.
A benchmark for our youth, to whom you show that the most difficult goals are never out of reach when we move forward together.
A benchmark for our Nation, which sees in your journey proof that rigor, constancy and unity transform ambition into success.
You seriously won.
You won with respect.
You won without ever losing the meaning of what you represent.
I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all the players, without exception.
Each of you, in your place, contributed to this victory. Each of you was a hero of this campaign, because each of you agreed to blend into a collective larger than yourself.
I also want to salute the remarkable work of the national coach, Pape Thiaw. Through your calm, your rigor and your tactical intelligence, you were able to lead this group accurately, respecting its identity and getting the best out of each player.
You have shown that leadership based on clarity, listening and method can lead a collective to the highest summits. Through you, I salute the work of the technical support which supports you.
I congratulate the President of the Senegalese Football Federation, Abdoulaye Fall, as well as all the managers, technicians and administrative staff, for the quality of the work accomplished.
This victory is also that of a patient organization, a shared vision and a constant commitment to the service of Senegalese football.
I salute the action of the Minister of Sports, Khady Diène Gaye, and of the entire Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, for the support, support and investments made in favor of sport, convinced that sport, when well supervised, is a school of discipline, self-improvement and national cohesion.
In this outpouring of thanks, I associate the Ministry of African Integration, Foreign Affairs and Senegalese Abroad, through Her Excellency Madame the Ambassador of Senegal to Morocco, present and engaged at all stages, alongside our national team.
I don’t forget our supporters. These women and men, here and elsewhere, who have never stopped believing in it.
Through their fervor, their prayers, their loyalty and their passion, they accompanied the team at every stage and gave it, in decisive moments, this irresistible additional strength.
I salute the enormous work accomplished by the Senegalese press which accompanied our national team, positively informed national and international opinion and contributed to this tremendous success that we are celebrating today.
Dear compatriots,
Finally, allow me to have a special word for a man. A player whose career, attitude and leadership command respect. A player who, through his talent, but above all through his sense of responsibility, left his mark on this final and this competition.
Sadio Mané is today much more than a great player.
He entered, through his work, his consistency and his exemplarity, into the closed circle of legends of world football.
In this final, you showed what it means to be a leader: seeing correctly, deciding at the right time, leading others, remaining lucid when the pressure is maximum.
On behalf of the Senegalese Nation, I pay tribute to you and through you, to the other executives of the team, and the entire den.
Before concluding, this is the place to congratulate the friendly and brotherly people of the Shereef kingdom, for the immense efforts made during the organization of this CAN 2025.
I congratulate the Moroccan national team for its remarkable journey.
On behalf of the Senegalese people, I express our gratitude to His Majesty King Mohammed VI, as well as to the brotherly Moroccan people, for the welcome, hospitality and attention reserved for our delegation and all the teams involved.
Dear Lions,
You have honored the flag entrusted to you. You have honored Senegal. You have shown, by example, that when the Senegalese move forward together, with discipline and confidence, no challenge is out of reach.
You have written a major page in our sporting history.
And this page will remain. On behalf of the Republic, on behalf of the State, on behalf of the Senegalese people, I extend to you our gratitude and our congratulations.
Valiant Jambars, Dear Gaindés!
Thank you for this second star on the national jersey!
Welcome back to your respective families and clubs!
Good recovery to all the injured and suffering!
May God have other African and global victories in store for us!
– Long live the Lions of Téranga!
– Long live Senegalese sport!
– Long live the Republic!
– Long live Senegal!
