FORGING AHEAD:
YEKATERINBURG: Senegal coach Aliou Cisse criticised his team for letting Japan equalise twice in their World Cup Group H game yesterday and said he expected more from central defenders Kalidou Koulibaly and Salif Sane.
In an exciting but errorstrewn 2-2 draw, the Africans went ahead through Sadio Mane and dominated for much of the first half until Takashi Inui replied with a curling shot for Japan. After the break, though, Japan did most of the attacking.
“Of course there are regrets but we must say we didn’t see a great Senegal team tonight compared to the previous match against Poland,” said Cisse.
“Despite the fact we were leading twice, what is annoying for me is the two goals we conceded,” he added, accusing his players of lacking rigour and concentration.
“All I know is at this level of competition with the players we have today, who are worldclass, these were avoidable goals. That is crystal clear.”
Though he did not elaborate on the lapses, the comment was particularly true of the Keisuke Honda tap-in that made it 2-2, after full-back Moussa Wague had put Senegal ahead for the second time.
“The best team on the pitch was Japan, we have to admit,” said Cisse, who as captain led Senegal to the quarter-finals in 2002. “We were getting the ball and then we were losing it... I thought there were a lot of technical errors, too many.”
Nor did he hold back from analysing the less than topdrawer performances of his key players.
Mane had been more impressive than in the 2-1 win against Poland but Cisse said: “Yes, of course he can do better.”
And he also expressed worry about the degree to which Japanese striker Yuya Osako had been able to put pressure on his defence.
“Whether it’s Sane or Koulibaly, they’re great players. I think they were perhaps less good today,” he said. “We’re going to work on that. Koulibaly needs to show his qualities, and Sane the same.”
Senegal, who remain joint top of the group with four points, play Colombia on Thursday and still have an excellent chance of reaching the last 16.
Striker Mane told reporters: “To be honest, we are all disappointed. Of course there was a way for us to win the match and we didn’t do it.
“It’s important to have that point and we have a decisive game coming up. We’re going to try and manage this and extract the positives, in order to qualify for the last 16.”
Despite having to twice come from a goal down to secure a draw against Senegal, Japan boss Akira Nishino wanted to go for the win that would have all-but secured his side’s passage to the last-16.
Nishino, who has promised an attacking philosophy since taking over the reigns in April, used all three of his substitutions on offensive players.
One of those Honda, scored the second equaliser just six minutes after coming on.
At that stage, all-time top scorer Shinji Okazaki had also been called for as Japan chased an equaliser.
Even when the sides were level, Nishino threw the dice one more time as he brought on Augsburg forward Takashi Usami late on.
“Of course in the second half we wanted to win,” Nishino told reporters.
“After equalizing twice I put in Usami – I could have put a defender in but I put in the attacker – and we earned one point.
“All the substitutes were attackers. I believe I used them well in terms of timing, and all three of them are attackers and are point getters.” – Reuters
Other result: Poland (0) 0 Colombia(1) 3 (Y. Mina 40, R. Falcao 70, Juan Cuadrado 75)