The national soccer team of Senegal returned to a heroes' welcome in Dakar on Tuesday after achieving what any other African team had failed in the World Cup finals.
Senegal was knocked out by Turkey in the quarter-finals.
President Abdoulaye Wade and all his ministers greeted the players at Dakar airport along with several thousand cheering supporters. And many more residents in red, gold and green Senegalese flags lined the street from the airport to the downtown sector to cheer on the players back to the capital city.
After their surprising qualification for this year's finals in South Korea and Japan, Senegal upset defending champions France 1-0 in the tournament opener's game.
The "Lions of Teranga" went on with draws against Denmark and Uruguay and a second-round victory over Sweden, to become only the second African team to reach the last eight in the World Cup finals.
Cameroon reached the quarter-finals in 1990 but were eliminated in the first round this year along with other African sides -- Nigeria, South Africa and Tunisia.
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