Senegal is an independent country, it is a sovereign country, and sovereignty does not accept the presence of military bases in a sovereign country,” President Faye said.

France Withdraws from Senegal; Hands Over Last Two Bases in West Africa | Firstpost Africa | N18G France has officially ended ...

Senegal’s new government has taken a hard-line stance against the presence of French troops as part of a larger regional backlash against what many see as the legacy of an oppressive colonial empire.

Senegal's prime minister said on Friday that the government is closing "all foreign military bases," an announcement essentially aimed at France, the West African nation's former colonial power.

France still has 600 troops in Ivory Coast, 350 in Senegal and 350 in Gabon, as well as around 1,500 in Djibouti. It has had 1,000 troops in Chad.

Senegal, with a 4-5-1 formation, had only two players boasting more than 30 caps, with no player over 28. They came mostly from French clubs, none of title-winning vintage.

The 46-year-old Cisse played for Senegal in its victory over Sweden at the 2002 World Cup to reach the quarterfinals, just a few games after having beaten 1998 winner France in the tournament opener.

Senegal, making its debut at the World Cup, had defeated defending champion France 1-0 in the Cup’s opening game in Seoul, South Korea, and the party was just starting.