Senegal defender, Kalidou Koulibaly
Senegal defender, Kalidou Koulibaly says he would rather prefer winning the Africa Cup of Nations over qualifying for the FIFA World Cup.
The former Napoli and Chelsea defender led Senegal’s 3-0 opening game victory over Botswana on Tuesday, December 23, 2025 at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, being held in Morocco.
However, the experienced defender has stressed he would never trade winning the Africa Cup of Nations for World Cup qualification, signaling the respect he has for the CAF elite competition.
“The Africa Cup of Nations is one of the most beautiful competitions in the world. Maybe some people don’t respect it, but I respect it deeply. I know what a victory at the AFCON represents. I would never trade winning the AFCON for qualifying to the World Cup.”
“I also hope the press will help shine a light on this beautiful competition. Despite everything that has happened before, we must put it aside and play football, think about that joy of life that is unique to Africa. It is up to us, Africans, to defend our competition.” He said.
The 34-year-old defender, who currently plies his trade for Al Hilal in the Saudi Pro League is expected to play a huge role for Senegal in their AFCON title bid.
Since making his debut, the former Chelsea defender has racked up 97 appearances, scoring two goals across the period.
