World Cup 2022 - Senegal - Aliou Cissé: "Senegal have always won their opening match"
Aliou Cissé is confident ahead of Senegal's game against the Netherlands, even though he will pick his side without Sadio Mané, who is injured and ruled out.
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The World Cup kicks off this Sunday, 20 November, with Qatar v Ecuador (16h GMT), the first game in Group A. The group's second match is scheduled for this Monday, 21 (16h GMT), and will pit Senegal against the Netherlands. With 24 hours to go before the game, Lions head coach Aliou Cissé voiced his optimism at a press conference. And with good reason. Under his leadership, the Senegal team have always made a good start in tournaments. "Senegal have always won their opening match at the World Cup (2002 and 2018, editor's note)? You could look at it that way", the African champion coach admitted rather reluctantly, as quoted by AFP.
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He was quick to add: "But Holland also often start their tournaments with a win. I've also won all our first matches since I've been in charge of this team, so let's hope we have the same luck…"
Life without Sadio Mané
Aliou Cissé hopes his side will make a successful start to the competition, despite the absence of Sadio Mané, who is injured and ruled out of the World Cup. "First of all, I feel for Sadio Mané, we don't hide his importance to the Senegal team," said the coach. "Like all coaches, I built a team around its best player or players, but there is a group, a collective, with experienced players and youngsters ready to rise to the challenge."
Aliou Cissé added: "We have played games without Sadio Mané before. Admittedly, they weren't against opponents of the Netherlands' calibre. But the experience of the 2018 World Cup, of the various AFCONs and our status as African champions reassure us and give us confidence."
Krépin Diatta, who was sitting alongside his head coach, backed him up: "Sadio is our technical leader, we would have liked to have him here, but God decided otherwise. We are all united in this, it's a loss for the team. We have to give everything and rely on the collective, that's the only way we'll get good results."
The Editorial Team – Sport News Africa