MATCH STATS: Senegal vs Botswana - TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 – Group D

Senegal and Botswana meet in a Group D encounter at the Grand Stade de Tanger on Tuesday (kick-off 16h00 local time / 15h00 GMT). It will be the nations’ first meeting at the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations finals.

Botswana are making their second AFCON appearance and will face West African opposition for the fourth time at the finals. At their debut tournament in 2012, all three of their opponents — Ghana, Guinea and Mali — were from West Africa.

Overall, this will be the third meeting between the teams. Their previous two encounters came during qualifying for the 2015 AFCON, with Senegal winning both matches.

Senegal qualified for the 2015 AFCON as Group G runners-up behind Tunisia, while Botswana finished fourth in the same group behind Tunisia, Senegal and Egypt.

HEAD-TO-HEAD OVERALL
Senegal: P2 W2 D0 L0 GF5 GA0 GD+5
Botswana: P2 W0 D0 L2 GF0 GA5 GD-5

 

Senegal – Key Statistics

·       Senegal are making their 18th AFCON finals appearance and their sixth consecutive appearance.

·       Runners-up in 2002 and 2019, they won their first AFCON title at the 2021 edition.

·       One of three nations to lose their first two AFCON finals and win their third.

·       Have appeared at every AFCON since 2015 — their longest run of successive qualifications.

·       Since 2012, they have failed to qualify only once (2013).

·       Senegal have avoided defeat in 15 of their 17 AFCON opening matches (W10 D5 L2).

·       Their only opening-game defeats came against Nigeria in 1992 (as hosts) and Zambia in 2012 — both 2–1 losses.

·       They have won their opening match at each of their last five AFCON appearances (2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023).

·       Their most recent opening win was a 3–0 victory over Gambia in 2023.

·       In their last 12 AFCON tournaments, they have lost their opening match just once (W9 D2).

·       Senegal have scored in each of their last eight AFCON opening matches.

·       Since 2017, they have kept more clean sheets at AFCON than any other team (15 in 22 matches).

·       Across that period, they have conceded eight goals and scored 32.

·       They are unbeaten in their last 11 AFCON matches in open play (W7 D4).

·       Their last defeat in open play was the 1–0 loss to Algeria in the 2019 final.

·       Senegal are unbeaten in their last seven AFCON group matches (W5 D2).

·       They have conceded just one goal in those seven group games, keeping six clean sheets.

·       The only goal conceded came in their 3–1 win over Cameroon in 2023.

·       Senegal went unbeaten in qualifying, drawing their opener against Burkina Faso before winning their next five matches.

·       Conceded just one goal in qualifying — the joint fewest alongside Mali.

·       Habib Diarra and Sadio Mané were joint top scorers in qualifying with three goals each.

·       Sadio Mané is set to feature in his sixth AFCON finals.

·       Mané has scored nine goals in 22 AFCON appearances.

·       He has 15 goal involvements at AFCON (9 goals, 6 assists).

·       Mané registered a goal involvement in every Senegal match at AFCON 2023 (1 goal, 3 assists).

·       He has had a goal involvement in seven of his last eight AFCON matches.

·       Senegal will be led by Pape Thiaw, their first AFCON under a coach other than Aliou Cissé since 2015.

·       Thiaw was part of Senegal’s squad that finished runners-up in 2002, playing in the opening two matches.

Botswana – Key Statistics

·       Botswana return to the AFCON finals after a 13-year absence.

·       They made their tournament debut in 2012.

·       Their only previous AFCON opening match ended in a 1–0 defeat to Ghana in 2012.

·       Lost all three of their matches at their debut tournament.

·       Are still searching for their first AFCON win.

·       At AFCON 2012, Botswana lost to Ghana (1–0), Guinea (6–1) and Mali (2–1).

·       Dipsy Selolwane scored Botswana’s first AFCON goal — a 23rd-minute penalty against Guinea in 2012.

·       Botswana have scored first only once at AFCON, when Mogakolodi Ngele netted against Mali in 2012.

·       They were coached by Stanley Tshosane in 2012 and will be led in Morocco by South African coach Morena Ramoreboli.

·       Ramoreboli is the first South African coach to lead another nation at an AFCON finals.

·       Botswana began qualifying with home and away defeats to Mauritania and Egypt.

·       Recorded crucial home and away victories over Cabo Verde.

·       Finished qualifying with home and away 1–1 draws against Mauritania and Egypt.

·       Scored four goals in qualifying — the joint fewest among qualified teams, alongside Sudan.