By Victor Kanayo
Senegalese U20 players are now richer, after President Macky Sall, announced a US $16, 324 to each of them, two days after the team also known as, ‘Young Teranga Lions’ blazed the trail to win the just concluded U20 Africa Cup of Nations.
The President dropped the promise during a reception organised in honour of the team at Dakar upon their arrival from Egypt.
The technical crew, Heritage Times HT gathered, will take part in the presidential largese, which is equivalent to 10 million FCFA, when converted to the country’s local currency.
It was similar way Senegalese President rewarded the country’s senior National team, the Teranga Lions, with around $87,000 each, after they won the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations for the first time.
The West African nation has been harvesting continental titles in the last one year.
Between 2022 and 2023, Senegal have won Africa Nations Cups, African Nations Championship (CHAN), Africa Beach Soccer championship and U20 AFCON.
In the latest victorious outing, Senegal beat Gambia 2-0 in the final to lift the continent’s revered youth championship trophy on Saturday March 11, 2023.
Before then, they won all their group matches against Nigeria and Mozambique, before beating Benin Republic and Tunisia in the quarter and semi-final games.
They had reached final of the competition in 2015, 2017 and 2019.
The Young Teranga Lions target a good outing, when they set out at the FIFA U20 World Cup, scheduled for Indonesia between May 20 and June 11, 2023.
Nigeria, Tunisia and Gambia are other countries expected to participate at the World Youth Championship.
