#senegal

#senegal

When: January 3, 5pm/16:00 GMT Where: Ibn Batouta Stadium in Tangier Pre-tournament favourites Senegal open their AFCON round-of-16 campaign against Sudan, the lowest-ranked side left in the competition and appearing in the knockout stages for the first time in 14 years. Senegal finished top of Group D with seven points after two wins and a draw, edging the Democratic Republic of the Congo on goal difference.

Sadio Mane's equaliser earned 2022 champions Senegal a 1-1 draw with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in their heavyweight Africa Cup of Nations clash on Saturday. Cedric Bakambu had given the Leopards the lead just after the hour mark in Tangier, but Al-Nassr forward Mane replied soon after, and the result ensures Senegal stay on top of Group D with one round of matches still to play.

"We are so happy to have such a great team in Senegal as our fourth opponent in the matches leading up into the tournament," Pochettino said in a U.S. Soccer release. "In the year leading up to the World Cup, we will have played at least one team from five different confederations, which is incredibly valuable for our preparations. We are looking forward to an amazing crowd in Charlotte."

Groups fighting to prevent HIV on the ground in Senegal face a double blow of aid cuts with Britain announcing a 150m cut to their biggest donor, the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria on top of Donald Trump slashing US aid funding. Senegal has already had its ability to stop the spread of the virus hollowed out by Trump's cuts announced at the start of the year, which have hit services reaching some of the most vulnerable groups.

Egypt and Morocco could book tickets to the 2026 Fifa World Cup during this month's international window (3-9 September) as African qualifying intensifies. Following an extended campaign which began in November 2023 and ends in October, four rounds of preliminaries are left to play. Only the nine group winners are guaranteed a spot at the finals next year, with the four best-placed runners-up entering play-offs in November for a second chance to qualify via an intercontinental route.

The end of the departure process sees France with no permanent military presence in West or Central Africa, marking a significant decrease in French influence.