FEATURE: Why we have fallen hard for the Senegal World Cup team

We owe Senegal an apology!

Whilst we were busy fawning over Nigeria and their stunning World Cup jersey, we overlooked Senegal, who were quietly waiting in the wings to show the world what they are made of.

Without hype or fanfare, they stepped on to the pitch and thrilled fans, scoring two goals against Poland in Tuesday's match and becoming the first African team to win a game so far in the tournament.

But it's not just their sporting skills that has made our hearts flutter.

Here are some of the reasons we have fallen hard for the Senegalese 'Lions of Teranga.'

They are Africa's best hope

Egypt are almost certainly out of the tournament with two defeats under their belt, Morocco have also now lost two matches (against Iran and Portugal), Tunisia lost 2-1 to England, and Nigeria is currently languishing at the bottom of their group after losing 2-0 to Croatia in their first game.

Senegal is currently Africa's best chance and they are carrying the hopes of a continent on their shoulders. No pressure guys!

And who can forget their cool celebration dance after they scored. Hopefully we will see much more of this dance as the World Cup progresses.

They have the coolest coach

Aliou Cissé is quite possibly the coolest coach in the tournament. He is unmissable pitch-side with dreadlocks and oversize spectacles.

At 42, he's the youngest coach in the World Cup and has now been immortalized in a meme.

Cisse was the former captain of his national side and is blazing a trail for other African coaches -- crucial in a continent that tends to favor the expertise of foreign coaches over homegrown talent.

"I represent a new generation that would like to have its place in African and world football," he told reporters in Russia recently.

"Indeed I am the only black coach in this tournament. It's a painful reality that annoys me. I believe that football is universal. I believe that skin color has little importance in the game."

The have the best fans

Senegal's supporters are just adorable. They are energetic, colorful, fun AND they stayed behind after the game to clean up their section of the stadium.

They've become absolute legends and the show of respect to their host country has won them a legion of fans.

Their president is their number one fan

President Macky Sall has been tweeting his support for the team and arrived in Russia ahead of Tuesday's game to cheer the team on.

He also took part in an inspirational video message encouraging 'Les Lions' and showing them that the whole country is behind them.

In the video, Sall can be heard saying: "I am very pleased to see you on the occasion of the qualification of our national team to the World Cup. Sixteen years has been a long wait.... unity is our country. This is why my hope is that everybody unites in their support of the national team."

Credit: CNN