(Football news) Senegal player Aliou Cisse recently turned 46 and he wants to make amends for an agonising exit from the 2018 World Cup in Russia, where his country eventually lost second place in the group only because they had accumulated more yellow cards than Japan. Aliou Cisse lost the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations final but he redeemed himself by guiding his country to victory over Egypt this year with a penalty shootout victory after a goalless final. Cisse was also part of the historical Senegal team that reached the 2002 World Cup quarter-finals in South Korea as a player he was quite successful playing in the Premier League and Ligue where he even played for Paris Saint-Germain.
The West African nation occupies a relatively unique position in Africa as they are the only three teams from the continent to have reached the last-eight at a World Cup, but Senegal exceeded everyone's expectation and qualified for the quarter final in their first-ever appearance. In 2002, they stunned the reigning world and European champions France and subsequently scored in every game. Despite that success, Senegal then went on to miss out on the following three World Cups and 2022 marks their first-ever qualification to consecutive World Cups.
They will be high on confidence when they enter Qatar as the African champions. Senegal took a while to assert their dominance during the Africa Cup of Nations in January, making it difficult for them in the group stages that featured lower ranked nations like Malawi and Zimbabwe. However, they came into their own during the knockout rounds. In addition to being Senegal’s first-ever taste of silverware it also showed the achievement that has lent towards the legitimacy of their current generation and also showed the wonderful work Cisse has done with this talented group of players. They will be the continent’s best hope of a deep run in Qatar, according to many experts they will be the dark horses entering the tournament.
Captain Kalidou Koulibaly, who was born in France, but opted to represent the country where his parents were born will be a key figure in the tournament. He moved to Chelsea this year and teamed up with Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy where his form has been a bit topsy turvy and will certainly have a point to prove in Qatar. The other good news that the Senegalese fans received was that Sadio Mane will be fit for the tournament as the African Player of the Year will hold the key to their success and probably have an entire continent's weight on his shoulder to make a deep run in the tournament.
Koulibaly has been critical of African teams at the World Cup, saying they set their goals too low. “We must stop believing getting past the first round is a great achievement – winning the World Cup is a great achievement.”
The Senegal squad in full:
Goalkeepers: Seny Dieng (Queens Park Rangers), Alfred Gomis (Stade Rennes), Eduoard Mendy (Chelsea)
Defenders: Fode Ballo Toure (AC Milan), Pape Abou Cisse (Olympiakos), Abdou Diallo (RB Leipzig), Ismail Jakobs (Monaco), Kalidou Koulibaly (Chelsea), Formose Mendy (Amiens), Youssouf Sabaly (Real Betis)
Midfielders: Pathe Ismael Ciss (Rayo Vallecano), Krepin Diatta (Monaco), Idrissa Gana Gueye (Everton), Pape Gueye (Olympique Marseille), Cheikhou Kouyate (Nottingham Forest), Mamadou Loum (Reading), Nampalys Mendy (Leicester City), Moustapha Name (Pafos FC), Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham Hotspur)
Forwards: Boulaye Dia (Salernitana), Famara Diedhiou (Alanyaspor), Bamba Dieng (Olympique Marseille), Nicolas Jackson (Villarreal), Sadio Mane (Bayern Munich), Ilimane Ndiaye (Sheffield United), Ismaila Sarr (Watford)
Also read: Players with a point to prove at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar
