Although they finished in fourth place in two AFCON editions,[1] Senegalese performance was overall still deemed as poor.
Senegal remained under the shadow of much more successful West African giants Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Ghana for the majority of the 20th century.
In the 2000s, Senegal began to surge and became a more competitive opponent in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Following a successful FIFA World Cup debut in 2002, in which the side reached the quarter-finals, Senegal officially established itself as a new powerhouse in Africa.
The 2002 Africa Cup of Nations tournament marked the best ever result in Senegalese football history, with the team falling to Cameroon 2–3 on penalties after a goalless draw in the final.