Wednesday 30 / October / 2024
SENEGAL’S last appearance at the World Cup 16 years ago marked a golden era in the country’s footballing history and a new generation of talent will fancy their chances of making a similar impact at Russia 2018.
Senegal caused one of the tournament’s most memorable upsets in their only World Cup appearance, beating holders France in the opening game before going on to reach the quarterfinals.
That tournament, however, preceded more than a decade in the doldrums when they never again reached football’s global showpiece or even threatened to capture an African title.
Yet after breezing through qualifying with a team boasting a couple of players who are making waves in some of Europe’s biggest leagues, hopes are high for Russia.
The 2002 side was spearheaded by former Liverpool forward El Hadji Diouf and the current crop are also reliant on a man plying his trade on Merseyside.
Attacking talisman Sadio Mane carries the goalscoring and creative burden for Senegal and heads to the World Cup in good form having helped to fire Liverpool into the Champions League final.
While he began the season in underwhelming form, he picked up momentum as it went on, forming a crucial part of one of Europe’s most feared attacking strike forces alongside Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino.
He is not, however, Senegal’s only player to have made a major impact at their club this season.
Their defence is marshalled by Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly, a man-mountain, whose pace and strength make him a formidable obstacle.
Koulibaly has been part of a Napoli side that pushed Juventus all the way in the Italian title race, although his season closed with contrasting emotions.
He scored the winner when the top two played each other in April before seeing red after five minutes in their very next match, a 3-0 defeat by Fiorentina that effectively ended their Serie A hopes.
Senegal, coached by their captain in 2002, Aliou Cisse, lost only once in qualifying comfortably.
That 2-1 defeat in South Africa, however, was later expunged from the records after FIFA found that the referee had manipulated the match on behalf of a betting syndicate.
They will certainly not be daunted by what awaits them in Russia, having been drawn in Group H alongside Poland, Colombia and Japan with no clear favourite to progress.
If they are to emulate their predecessors in 2002 and reach the quarterfinals, they will then have to play the first or second-placed team from Group G, which features Belgium, England, Panama and Tunisia.
Factbox
FIFA ranking: 27
Previous tournaments
Senegal’s only prior appearance at the World Cup came in 2002 when they beat holders France in the opening game before going on to reach the quarter-finals. They became only the second African country to progress that far at the tournament.
Coach: Aliou Cisse
The 42-year-old has World Cup experience having captained Senegal at the tournament in 2002. A former defensive midfielder, Cisse began and ended his playing career in France, but spent four seasons in the English Premier League with Birmingham City and then Portsmouth. He has helped to usher in a new generation of players for Senegal and built his side around the twin pillars of Liverpool’s Sadio Mane in attack and Napoli centre back Kalidou Koulibaly.
Key players
Sadio Mane: The jet-heeled forward will be crucial to Senegal’s World Cup hopes and will be his country’s talisman in attack. The Liverpool player began the season slowly in the Premier League but found a rich vein of form at the end of the campaign, forming a crucial part of the Merseyside club’s formidable attacking trio alongside Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah.
Kalidou Koulibaly: Senegal boast a man-mountain at the back, whose pace and strength make him a formidable obstacle for opposing forwards to negotiate. The defender has been a pillar of Napoli’s Serie A title challenge and even scored the winner as they beat Juventus when the top two played each other in April. While speed and raw power are his principal assets he is also elegant when striding out from the back with the ball.
Cheikhou Kouyate: Senegal’s industrious captain gives them a physical presence in midfield and has become a fan favourite at his club, West Ham United, whom he joined from Anderlecht in 2014.
While he can also operate at the back, his all-action style in the middle of the pitch and imposing stature make him a natural leader at the heart of Senegal’s team.
Form guide
Senegal’s last two World Cup warm-up matches both ended in draws - 1-1 with Uzbekistan and 0-0 with Bosnia. They are unbeaten in their last seven matches, however, and have conceded only twice in their last five.
How they qualified
Senegal’s 2018 World Cup campaign began poorly as they found themselves 2-0 down in Madagascar in the first leg of their preliminary-round tie before rallying to draw. They went on to win the return match comfortably and progressed to dominate their group in the next round, but their route to the finals was not without controversy. They lost 2-1 in South Africa but the result was expunged from the records after FIFA found the referee had manipulated the match on behalf of a betting syndicate. Senegal won the replay to secure their berth.
Prospects
Senegal will fancy their chances of making it into the knockout rounds having been drawn in Group H alongside Poland, Colombia and Japan. Should they make it to the second round, they will play the first or second-placed team from Group G, which features Belgium, England, Panama and Tunisia.
