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Senegal win CHAN 2024 Fair Play award after bronze-medal finish

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Senegal have been awarded the Fair Play trophy at the TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN) PAMOJA 2024, as the Teranga Lions were recognised for exemplary discipline, respect and sportsmanship across the tournament co-hosted by Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.

The Teranga Lions received their award on Saturday in Nairobi following the final match of the month-long competition held in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

Taccolade caps a campaign in which the defending champions again finished on the podium, sealing bronze after a penalty shootout victory over Sudan in Friday’s third-place play-off at the Mandela National Stadium in Kampala. 

The Fair Play award goes beyond results, rewarding Senegal’s conduct on and off the pitch.

The Teranga Lions were noted as one of the competition’s lowest disciplinary tallies for the West Africans, including no direct red cards.

 

In both knockout ties that went to penalties, Senegal’s players and technical staff were commended for calm, respectful behaviour under pressure, reinforcing a collective reputation as a model of sportsmanship.

Sudan led through Mohamed Tia Asad’s 6th-minute header before Senegal levelled on 58 minutes via Seyni Ndiaye.

With the contest locked at 1–1 after 90 minutes, Senegal converted all four of their penalties while Sudan missed twice to complete a 4–2 shootout triumph.

The semi-final told the other part of Senegal’s story: a narrow exit against Morocco, again on penalties, after a 1–1 draw across normal time and extra time, with the holders falling 5–3 in the shootout. Even in defeat, their approach earned praise from CAF observers and opposition alike.

On the pitch, Senegal’s production was spread efficiently. They scored four goals in the tournament, shared among three different players. Centre-back Joseph Layousse finished as the team’s top scorer with two, while Libasse Guèye registered two assists, underlining his influence in open play and set-piece situations.

Those contributions helped extend Senegal’s impressive sequence of nine CHAN matches unbeaten in open play, a run that survived the rigours of the East African co-hosting across Dar es Salaam, Nairobi and Kampala.

The bronze-medal shootout win over Sudan carried particular psychological weight.

Historically, Senegal had lost two of their previous three CHAN penalty deciders; edging this one 4–2 not only secured a place on the podium but also marked progress in the very moments that so often decide tournament football.

The Fair Play Trophy recognises the complete package: competitive strength aligned with respect for opponents, officials and spectators. It is, the organisation stresses, more than symbolic.

The award acknowledges a culture that encourages the right behaviours under stress—something Senegal demonstrated from group stage to podium—while setting a benchmark for future editions.

The Lions of Teranga therefore leave CHAN 2024 with tangible rewards on two fronts: bronze medals and the Fair Play Trophy.

They did not retain the title they won in the previous edition, but they depart East Africa with their standards reaffirmed—competitive, consistent and, crucially, exemplary custodians of the game’s values.