Senegal Defeats France 1-0 in 2002 World Cup Opener

On 31 May 2002 in Seoul, Senegal beat France 1‑0 in the opening match of the World Cup staged in South Korea and Japan. France entered as reigning world and European champions. Zinédine Zidane missed the game with a thigh injury, while France fielded Thierry Henry from the English league, David Trezeguet from the Italian league and Djibril Cissé from the French league. Coach Roger Lemerre’s side was widely expected to win comfortably.

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Senegal, making their World Cup debut under coach Bruno Metsu, selected 21 of their 23 players from the French league. El‑Hadji Diouf broke down the left flank, delivered a low cross that left Frank Lebœuf stranded, and Papa Bouba Diop struck twice to beat Fabien Barthez. Midfield was anchored by Salif Diao and goalkeeping by Tony Silva. After scoring, Diop removed his shirt and placed it on the corner flag as his teammates celebrated. France failed to score, with Trezeguet hitting the post and Henry smashing the crossbar, and were eliminated in the first round without a goal. Senegal advanced to the quarter‑finals, matching Cameroon’s 1990 achievement as the first African nation to reach that stage.