Fourth in the last edition in Russia in 2021, the Lions of sand have, according to Babacar Fall, only one ambition this year: to win the title of world champion. In an exclusive interview with Sport News Africa, the striker, who will be taking part in his 7th World Cup, talks about his plans for the future. In this interview, he talks about the evolution of the national team and assumes Senegal's new status.
Babacar Fall, how do you rate your preparations for this Beach Soccer World Cup compared with the 2021 event, which featured more friendly matches?
In terms of preparation, we spent 6 months training at Diamalaye (Dakar beach) and Toubab Dialao (at the Senegalese Football Federation's Jules Bocandé development center). It was a tough preparation.But there's no substitute for friendly matches in the run-up to a tournament like the World Cup. There's not much difference compared to our preparations for the last edition in Russia. Except that back then we took part in several preparatory tournaments, the World Beach Games, the Copa Lagos, the African Beach Games... These were tournaments that replaced the friendly matches before the World Cup in Russia. This time we played Iran in a friendly. Iran is one of the best beach soccer nations in the world. We beat them in all three friendlies, which is no mean feat for our confidence. We also faced European champions Italy, although we lost 3-2. Finally, we finished on a high note by beating the Seychelles.
You're one of the key players in this selection. What can you tell us about the evolution of the Senegalese national team?
I've been with the Senegalese national team for 14 years, since 2010. Senegalese beach soccer has evolved enormously in terms of tactics, technique, finance and organization since I started. We used to go to the World Cup with the sole aim of getting past the 1st round.It was already good to get past the group phase. At the last World Cup, we raised our ambitions and set ourselves the target of reaching the semi-finals. Unfortunately, we were eliminated by Japan. This year we're aiming to win the trophy. We've done what it takes to be world champions.
We have some talented young players, three of whom are about to discover the World Cup. The other members of the squad, like myself, have played in 6 or 7 World Cups. This will be Alsény Ndiaye's 9th. This proves that there's always experience alongside youth in our team. The younger players are so talented that we have no doubt for a second that they will make a big contribution to achieving this goal. They've already taken part in major international tournaments and played against great teams. This will serve them well for this World Cup. They won't have any problems adapting to the tournament.
How do you rate Senegal's Group C, which includes Japan, Senegal's opponents in 2021?
It's a very tough group, with Japan, runners-up to the reigning world champions, and Belarus, who are starting to become regulars in the competition.
Colombia is a novice but in our discipline, it's very dangerous to take a team lightly. Colombia have eliminated regulars like Paraguay in the AmSud zone. This proves that they're a team to be wary of, and one that we certainly don't want to underestimate. It's one of the toughest pools at this World Cup.
How does it feel to have reached the semi-finals for the first time for an African nation?
It's always good to reach a certain level in a World Cup. It takes away any complexes.Having reached the semi-finals in 2021 by beating Portugal and Brazil has given us a huge amount of confidence. We no longer look down on any team, and we know we're capable of beating any team in the world. Now we're coming to the World Cup with a lot of confidence and determination. That's why other teams respect us. Facing them is no longer a psychological test but a sporting one. That's why we're raising our objectives.
Gone is Ngalla Sylla, with whom you reached the last four of the World Cup. Now it's Mamadou Diallo's turn, as he was his deputy during all these campaigns. How do you feel about this change?
This will be Coach Mamadou Diallo's first World Cup as head coach. He's always been there alongside former coach Ngalla Sylla.In a way, he's following in the footsteps of his predecessors. The backbone of the team is still there. He should have no difficulty in succeeding in his mission. We're going to do everything we can to help him achieve his mission. You're one of the top scorers in the history of the national team. What are your personal ambitions in this competition?
My ambitions are first and foremost for the success of the team. To win this World Cup. That's all I dream about, because individually I've won almost everything. I'm going to do whatever it takes to win the title for Senegal.
How far do you think the Senegal beach soccer team can go at this World Cup in Abu Dhabi?
I have to tell you that the team's sole aim is to win the world title, and nothing else.Some of us have been to the Cup 7, 8 or 9 times. We're not going there just to make up the numbers. We've put a lot of work into our preparations, and we believe in ourselves, our coaches and our management. We've given ourselves the means to achieve the grail in Abu Dhabi. We want to be world champions. That's the goal we've set ourselves.
