CHAN win: what impact on the Senegalese league?

The CHAN winners were given a warm welcome by Senegalese fans on Sunday evening at Léopold-Senghor military airport in Yoff. Straight afterwards, the Senegalese delegation was received at the presidential palace by head of state Macky Sall, who rewarded each player and member of the delegation with 15000 euros (10 million F CFA), plus a 500 square metre plot of land in the Dakar region. A generous reward, but one that matches the feat achieved by Pape Thiaw and his men. But what is preoccupying the football community is how Senegal's CHAN victory could affect the domestic league.

A league with ever greater visibility

Speaking to Sport News Africa, people in the local game expect Senegal's Ligue 1 to be put firmly in the spotlight. Badara Sarr, coach of Jeanne d’Arc de Dakar (3rd division - Senegal), believes scouts and recruiters will take an even greater interest in the Senegalese league. “Senegal's CHAN triumph should give our domestic football, and Senegalese football in general, more visibility. After the AFCON won by the senior side, the A’ team, which is drawn from the clubs, has won the CHAN. I think it will stir curiosity about our player development, our local players and our coaches,” he told SNA.

This growing exposure for the Senegalese league is seen as a boon by some club officials, notably at AS Pikine. “It gives the Senegalese league a fine shop window in terms of appeal and interest (…) Some clubs will also reap dividends. Certain players will become more attractive and will be transferred as a result. That is cash coming into our clubs' coffers, which is essential for investing and developing,” said a delighted Cheikh Mbacké Thiam, general manager of AS Pikine (D1-Senegal), reached by telephone by Sport News Africa.

Early departures likely to get worse

One consequence of this visibility is to cement Senegal's status as one of the countries that exports the most players to Europe and even within Africa. Clubs and recruiters from all over the world are expected to flock to this pool of raw talent after the achievement of Lamine Camara's side. That raises fears of a worsening drain on Senegal's Ligue 1. Coach Badara Sarr does not expect a boost for Ligue 1 after this triumph.

For the Jeanne d’Arc coach, this CHAN victory “will not bring the financial impact that would allow clubs to hold on to their best players”. “Unfortunately, I don't think the CHAN win will have an economic impact on our clubs. It will drain our league even more. In the coming weeks or months, we will see many of these CHAN-winning players leave for other African leagues and even exotic destinations. Even some who weren't at the CHAN will take advantage of the aura of this triumph to go abroad,” he said with concern.

These are real grounds for concern for all devotees of local football who had hoped for a rise in the standard of play in Senegal's Ligue 1 matches. With the Senegalese league already suffering from early, large-scale departures of its best talents, the spotlight on the Lions A’ victory at the CHAN puts its gems on show on a grand scale. The political authorities will no doubt want to turn this success into a lasting gain, and support local football so that those working in it can make a better living from their profession.

Almost a complete rebuild to defend the title

The A’ side's success is also a fast track to creating new internationals outside the senior team, which is harder to break into. “Many of our players used to come through the national youth teams to gain that status and become more attractive to countries where international caps are required. That is good for our players, but for our league it is not necessarily good news. Coaches and youth developers will have to get back to work to produce more young players destined for 'export' to more prestigious leagues,” he explained.

Next year, with CHAN qualifying ahead of the defence of the title, Pape Thiaw will again have to adapt with a brand-new group. “We will surely have a new team, 90% made up of new players, to prepare for the next CHAN, says the former Senegal assistant coach at the 2009 and 2011 CHANs”, Coach Badara Sarr said, looking ahead. He has been through the same thing before, after the 2009 CHAN, where Senegal's A’ national team reached the semi-finals in the first edition, in Ivory Coast.

A helping hand from the state to strengthen local football

At Sunday's reception at the palace in honour of the local Lions, the President of the Republic urged public and semi-public sectors to invest in local football, the only way to build on this success. “Without the backing of big local and international companies, it will be hard for the Senegalese professional league and the Federation to build on this triumph. The positive side is that the authorities will look at local football differently, as it is a provider of jobs. The state will help the domestic league even more and the clubs will be able to develop,” said the AS Pikine general manager hopefully.

Badara Sarr, for his part, points out that there are prerequisites before state-owned companies will invest in the domestic league. “These are companies that need visibility, and nothing is more visible than the Lions A. I don't know how they will go about it, but to see these companies invest in local football, you need a quality league, matches shown on TV and advertisers able to come in. That is what will naturally draw companies to this football. If the best players leave early for other leagues, it won't help improve the quality of our league and, as a knock-on effect, there shouldn't be a rush of these Senegalese companies. That is the price of glory,” he lamented.

For Cheikh Mbacké Thiam, optimism is the order of the day after the local Lions' triumph. “It should also boost the motivation of our young players. This triumph for the A’ side, with players celebrated by the Republic behind it, will spark healthy competition. Today the local player will believe more in himself and in his talent. It will bring renewed hope to everyone playing in the domestic league. The Senegalese player, who was already a highly sought-after product, sees his stock rise even further,” he expects.

Moustapha M. SADIO