Senegal speaker predicts victory over France in World Cup opener

Speaker of Senegal’s National Assembly, Ousmane Sonko, has described Tuesday’s FIFA World Cup clash between Senegal and France as more than a football match, saying that whichever team wins, “Africa will have beaten Africa.”

Sonko made the remark during an interview with RFI and France 24 in Dakar on Monday while discussing Senegal’s chances against France in their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Speaking on the number of players of African origin in the French squad, Sonko said, “I think Senegal will win. At least, that’s my hope, like every Senegalese person.

“In any case, it’s only a football match. But if you want to look at the match politically, then whoever wins, Africa will have beaten Africa.”

The Speaker said the composition of the French national team reflects Africa’s contribution to global talent and should prompt deeper reflection on relations between Africa and Europe.

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According to him, the make-up of the French team highlights Africa’s human potential and the continent’s strategic importance.

“The message I always give to Africans is that if we understand our own value and embrace it — we have natural resources, we have human resources, we have a rapidly growing and overwhelmingly young population and we have a strategic position — then I believe the balance of needs is not where people often think it is,” he said.

Sonko added that such realities should also shape conversations around migration and broader relations between Africa and Western countries.

The remarks came during a wide-ranging interview in which the former prime minister discussed Senegal’s domestic politics, economic challenges, regional security issues, and the future of West African integration.

Sonko was elected Speaker of Senegal’s National Assembly in May, days after being removed as prime minister by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye.