LIONS DOWN BUT NOT OUT
DOHA. The end usually justifies the means, doesn’t it?
This has never been truer than on big stages such as the World Cup, as Senegal were taught in their Monday opener against the Netherlands.
A largely torpid second half - which followed an eventful first - saw the Dutch capitalise and punish the African champions, twice.
Senegal coach Aliou Cissé will be left wondering how he let this winnable game get away. Whatever he does, a rebound against host nation Qatar should be swift and brutal on Friday.
Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong, adjudged Man of the Match, admitted that “Senegal did not deserve to lose, but in games like this you sometimes need a bit of luck here and there, and we did and we took our chances.”
That is one lesson Aliou can learn from looking back at Africa’s first game at this global football festival. First, though, the positives.
Senegal did not arrive at this tournament by fluke, nor were they tipped to make the quarterfinal by sentiment, either. Of course, that was with Sadio Mané in the equation. But even without their all-time top scorer, the Teranga Lions matched the Oranje throughout the game. At very few points did it feel like the Europeans were superior opposition.
Senegal had more shots (15-10), aerials won (22-20), and tackles (14-10). On other stats, such as pass success percentage (80-81), dispossession (7-8), corners (6-7), they were just marginally shaded. All points to the fact that a win was more possible than not, and the most important stat - goals - eluded them.
Too often, the narrative of good African teams is one of potential. This time, the 2022 Senegal team is ready, right now, right here.
They have got what it takes to advance into the round of 16. Their spine of Edouard Mendy, Kalidou Koulibaly, Nampalys Mendy and Idrissa Gueye is formidable and can damage any team on a good day.
Two dodgy goalkeeping decisions aside, Mendy had a solid game. His defence, led by Koulibaly, were reliable, too. Indeed, it is arguable that only Virgil van Dijk had a better game than the Senegalese defenders. In midfield, Kouyaté had a monster performance, backed by a decent Nampalys.
Injuries to Kouyaté and Abdou Diallo were met with subs that showed the depth of the team.
It is arguable that Senegal have lost their toughest game, and going forward, careful introspection should elicit stronger performances in their next two games.