Rise of a Football God

Cameroon vs Nigeria was not a contest.

Rather, it was a one-sided humiliation where Sam dominated, pushing himself to the forefront of the race for both the golden ball and golden boot awards for the AFCON tournament.

That performance was not just any type of performance, it was a statement display from the best player in the world.

Mohamed Salah may have won the ballon d'Or award but nobody doubted that now, Sam was by a sizeable margin the best player in the world.

He did not just pass the eye test; his numbers were insane.

And now, it was Senegal's turn.

Later that same day, in the night, Botswana took on Senegal, a game where Botswana was predicted to be put to the sword by the Senegalese.

The quarterfinal clash between Botswana and Senegal was a true David vs Goliath battle, and the Complexe Sportif Mohamed V stadium in Casablanca crackled with anticipation.

Over 40,000 spectators filled the stadium, eager to witness whether the underdog Zebras of Botswana could stand against the might of the Teranga Lions of Senegal in this high-stakes AFCON encounter.

Afterall, a spot in the semifinal was what was at stake.

Botswana's passionate supporters, dressed in sky blue and white, sang relentlessly, their voices carrying a mix of excitement and defiance.

They knew their team was the tournament's Cinderella story, and they were determined to push them forward.

Meanwhile, Senegalese fans, a sea of green, yellow, and red dominated the stands, their rhythmic drumming and choreographed chants creating a relentless, hypnotic energy.

You could feel the confidence of the fans from the drums alone.

FWEEEE!

From the first whistle, the stadium pulsed with nervous tension.

It was supposed to be a game of David vs Goliath, an absolute crushing from Senegal, but still it was the AFCON quarterfinal, a knockout game where any single mistake could result in elimination.

This was why like the other quarterfinal games, every touch of the ball in this stadium still brought a reaction; gasps from Botswana's faithful when their team surged forward, deafening roars from Senegalese fans whenever their star players danced past defenders.

The weight of expectation hung in the air as Senegal, one of the tournament favorites pressed high, while Botswana fought with heart and grit, refusing to back down before the towering visage of their opponent's momentum.

As the game reached its boiling point, the atmosphere became a storm of noise; whistles, vuvuzelas, and chants blending into a deafening wall of sound.

And that was when the dreadlock was broken, in the 39th minute.

POW!

It was a thunderbolt shot.

It was a shot from outside the 18-yard box.

It was Idrissa Gueye, the Senegal midfielder who unleashed the shot, leaving the Botswana goalkeeper no chance.

A goal befitting of the AFCON quarterfinals, a goal with enough raw energy to cut through the tension in this stadium.

"GOALLLLL…!!!" Senegalese fans celebrated at the top of their lungs.

Charging towards the corner flag alongside his teammates, Idrissa Gueye jumped down on the field, sliding forward in celebration as his teammates jumped after him, celebrating the goal exuberantly.

The first half came to an end 0-1 in Senegal's favor.

When second half started, the onslaught continued.

It was all Senegal, just Botswana defending desperately for their lives even as they were already losing the game.

Senegal was too strong, too stacked, leaving the Botswana players no openings to attack. They hoarded possession with an iron fist, attacking again and again to show their superiority in the game.

And then, the superiority eventually showed… from the corner kick.

It was another Senegal corner kick, and this time, the towering center back and captain of the national team, Kalidou Koulibaly was the one who leapt highest, planting a powerful header towards goal and beating Botswana's goalkeeper.

"GOALLLLL…!" The Senegalese players and fans celebrated the goal with as much passion and excitement as the first goal.

That goal entered in the 58th minute.

It was not over, not while Ismaila Sarr was yet to enter the scoresheet.

And then, the winger finally did it, taking a ball from deep and going on an incredible solo run before cooly slotting past the goalkeeper into the bottom right corner, scoring a crazy goal that got Senegalese fans on their feet again, screaming for joy and hailing his name.

Charging towards the corner flag, Ismaila Sarr celebrated by pointing to his jersey name, showing the world that he was HIM.

He was still a contender for the golden ball award.

Sarr's goal came in the 66th minute.

It was already 0-3 in Senegal's favor, but the Teranga Lions of Senegal were not yet satisfied. They wanted 1 more, at least 1 more, and they got it.

This time, it was the striker, Nicolas Jackson who finally got it.

The Chelsea striker was injured previously, but he recovered fast enough to play a role in the quarterfinal of the AFCON tournament.

It was a classic poacher's goal, lashing into a cross from Ndiaye, the right winger before tapping into the net from close range in the 74th minute.

0-4 to Senegal…, and they were finally satisfied.

The game eventually came to an end 0-4, Idrissa Gueye winning the man of the match award with his goal and assist.

Senegal progressed; Botswana was eliminated.

And with that, the quarterfinal fixtures of the AFCON tournament were all played, sending the eliminated countries home and giving the qualified countries one more stage to showcase their talents.

The semifinal fixtures of the AFCON tournament were finally ready.

(AFCON 2025:)

(Tunisia – Morocco)

(Date: 14th January, 2026)

…

(Senegal – Nigeria)

(Date: 14th January, 2026)

The semifinal clash was set, and they were to be played on the same day.

The 4 last surviving teams in the tournament.

Tunisia would take on Morocco in a potentially intense battle, while Senegal would take on Nigeria in undoubtedly the most blockbuster encounter of the tournament so far.

It was a clash between 2 tournament favorites.

A clash between the Teranga Lions of Senegal and the Super Eagles of Nigeria; it was going to be a treat to never forget.