2026 World Cup: Senegal ‘suffering from curse’ of AFCON winner

Senegal’s narrow 3-2 defeat to Norway in their second group fixture at the 2026 World Cup, leaves them on the brink of elimination.
The Teranga Lions won the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations against hosts Morocco, before they were controversially stripped of the title by CAF.
The case is currently at the Court of Arbitration.
However, historically, AFCON winners have found it difficult to translate their Nations Cup successes to the World Cup in the immediate aftermath of their continental glory.
In the past, only Nigeria (1994), Nigeria (2014) and Senegal (2022) have gone past the group stages while they were reigning African champions.
The winners in 1988, Cameroon, went all the way...