In Senegal, football goes beyond sport. It is part of every conversation and can be seen everywhere, from phone screens to billboards.
It therefore seemed obvious that Senegalese supporters would turn out to cheer on their national team as they began their campaign on Sunday, 1 November, even when the ball moves from football pitches to futsal courts.
In the Médina district of Dakar, the atmosphere was electric as the Lioncelles (Young Lionesses) stepped on to the court at the Iba Mar Diop Complex.
Facing Fiji, Senegal’s women’s futsal team made the perfect start to their campaign at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games with an impressive 8-1 victory.
Senegalese supporters did not have to wait long before jumping out of their seats. After just 47 seconds, Marème Niang opened the scoring. Less than a minute later, it was Mariama Faty’s turn to send the fans into wild celebrations to the chorus of Magic System’s Magic in the Air. A perfect start that meant Senegal never had to doubt themselves, allowing them to play with complete freedom in attack.
In a sport where the action comes thick and fast, the Senegalese made the most of their strong spells, finishing the match just as strongly as they had started it, with three goals in the final 10 minutes.
“We had to win. I told them to start the match well and they put into practice what we had worked on up until then. What I’m most proud of is that the girls enjoyed themselves. Now we have to keep our feet on the ground because this is our first international competition,” head coach Walimata Seye told Olympics.com.
Beyond the result, this first match had a special meaning for the Senegalese players, who were representing their country in front of their home crowd on the big stage of the Youth Olympic Games.
“I’m proud to wear this jersey because every girl who plays football dreams of wearing her country’s jersey. The fact that Senegal is supporting us gives us confidence,” said Bousso Diallo, who scored the final goal of the match, told Olympics.com.
That last goal might have seemed insignificant at first, but it carried a special meaning for Diallo. The player dedicated it to someone dear to her, wearing a tribute T-shirt underneath her jersey.
“I even cried before scoring because I had taken so many shots during the match without scoring. And when I finally scored, I was really proud of myself,” she said.
read more: https://www.olympics.com/en/dakar-2026/news/dakar-2026-senegal-flying-start-futsal-campaign
