Senegal's victorious Africa Cup of Nations squad, led by match-winner Sadio Mane, were given a rousing welcome home as crowds of fans gathered in capital city Dakar.
Mane, who was named player of the tournament, converted the winning kick in the penalty shootout as the Lions of Taranga ended their long wait for AFCON glory after two previous defeats in the final.
Senegalese president Macky Sall declared a national holiday on Monday to mark the achievement, and massive crowds gathered in the streets awaiting the return of the victorious squad.
The reaction showed just how much the win meant to the people of Senegal, with celebrations continuing long into the night after the players were paraded through town on a bus parade.
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Fans attempted to find a vantage point wherever they could to witness Senegal's heroes return.
The noise was deafening as supporters waited as long as it took to get a glimpse of match-winner Mane, captain Kalidou Koulibaly and the rest of the squad.
Goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, another of Senegal's heroes after pulling off a big save in the shootout, is believed to have already begun his journey to Abu Dhabi where he will represent Chelsea at the Club World Cup.
Football consultant Freddhy Koula shared a video of the events with the caption "What is happening at Dakar today is absolutely insane, I blame myself for not being there."
Senegal had reached the final twice before, losing to Algeria in 2019 and suffering a penalty shoot-out defeat against Cameroon back in 2002.
Aliou Cisse, who missed one of the penalties 20 years ago, is now manager of the national team who finally won the trophy for the first time.
“I dedicate this victory to the Senegalese people. For years, we have been chasing this cup. Today we will be able to put a star on our jersey," Cisse said after the victory.
“Winning the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon has a special meaning. Winning against the most successful team in Africa is another symbol.”
Cisse himself was a part of the celebrations, standing atop the victory bus as fans gathered and cheered in support of the champions.
Senegal made a slow start to the tournament, scoring just once in their three group games, but they had a claim to being the best performers in the knockout stages.
Cape Verde, Equatorial Guinea and Burkina Faso were all beaten inside 90 minutes, whereas final opponents Egypt needed extra-time or penalties in each of their knockout ties.
While Mane saw an early penalty saved in the final, he made no mistake in the shootout to deliver a momentous victory, and the result got the level of celebrations many will feel it deserved.
