Aba Sylla and Omar Gomis arrived at one of Dakar's World Cup fan zones wearing what has become their daily uniform during the tournament: matching shirts, pants and hats in the colors of the Senegalese flag. Sylla drove a similarly outfitted motorbike, with a photo of himself covered in yellow, red and green paint plastered on the front fender.
Sylla and Gomis are members of the Senegal national soccer team’s official fan club, called the “12ème Gaïndé”––meaning “12th lion” in Wolof in reference to Senegal’s lion mascot––who are recognized by the government and often have their travel to games covered.
They are Senegalese super fans, but they also rally soccer fans to attend all of the African matches. They hoped they would have a large turnout at the fan zone for Ivory Coast’s game Tuesday evening against Norway.
“During the World Cup, all of the African countries that are a part of the World Cup come together,” Sylla said. “Because if Ivory Coast plays, it’s Africa who plays. If Senegal plays, it’s Africa who plays.”
This is Senegal’s fourth time appearing in the World Cup. But this year’s tournament is historic for Africa as a whole.
