As Korka Fall prepares for her fourth Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, the Senegal forward is clear about what success would look like in Morocco from 26 July to 16 August.
The Caen forward has set out a target that is both straightforward and ambitious: guide the Lionesses of Teranga into the semi-finals and secure Senegal’s first qualification for the FIFA Women’s World Cup™, to be staged in Brazil in 2027.
“The ambition remains the same: to reach the last four,” Fall said to FIFA. Senegal may not arrive among the competition’s leading favourites, but Fall believes that outsider status can work in their favour. “We’re going into this tournament as underdogs,” she said, a role Senegal hope will allow them to compete with freedom, purpose and conviction.
That belief is rooted in a steady rise over recent years.
After returning to WAFCON in 2022 following a decade-long absence, Senegal came agonisingly close to a semi-finals place and automatic qualification for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™. They reached the quarter-finals before suffering a narrow defeat by Zambia, drawing 1-1 after extra time and losing 4-2 on penalties.
Two years later, they again reached the quarter-finals, this time falling against defending champions South Africa after a goalless draw and a 4-1 penalty shootout defeat.
Both exits were painful, but together they offered evidence of Senegal’s progress. A team that had previously made only two final-tournament appearances since 1991, both ending in the group stage, had begun to challenge Africa’s leading sides in knockout football.
Those two defeats fed a sense of frustration, but they also strengthened the belief that Senegal are edging closer to the level required to break through that glass ceiling. Fall feels inexperience weighed heavily in 2022. “It was our first taste of football at that level of competition. We simply lacked experience.”
Since then, she feels the squad has matured. “The team has moved into another dimension. We’ve improved a lot technically, physically and mentally. A lot of young players have joined us too.” Senegal can therefore draw on a blend of experience among the senior figures and the energy of a new generation developing in a more favourable environment than the one their predecessors knew.
Fall has also witnessed a profound transformation in women’s football in Senegal and, more broadly, across Africa. Long left in the shadows, the game is now enjoying growing recognition. “Over the past six years, I’ve seen real progress, especially in Senegal. Many of my teammates are now playing abroad, which is something I’m proud of.”
For this Lioness, the upcoming WAFCON also carries a personal significance. After more than 13 years serving the national team, the captain knows there may not be many more chances to achieve her lifelong goal. “Playing at a World Cup would be a dream, both for me and for the whole group.”
Fall already knows how fine the margins can be. At the FIFA Play-Off Tournament for the 2023 finals, Senegal’s hopes ended with a 4-0 defeat by Haiti in New Zealand.
The Lionesses of Teranga no longer want merely to be praised for their progress or their ability to unsettle Africa’s top sides. After back-to-back quarter-final exits, they are determined to turn potential into results.
A place in the last four would be at once a historic achievement, the culmination of a generation’s journey and the start of a new chapter where Senegal can finally take their place on the world stage.
Sources: FIFA Official
