Senegal face Mane’s absence possibility
QATAR. — When the Air Senegal plane landed in Doha in the wee hours of Monday morning, airport staff craned their necks to find a certain recognisable face.
They did not find Sadio Mané, for he did not join the 90 per cent or so players who converged in Paris for this trip. Just as he was being sought at the airport, Senegal will have to get used to the global press asking questions about the 30-year-old’s absence.
He remains the Teranga Lions’ biggest brand, and a symbol of how far they’ve as a national team.
Back in the day — 2002, if one wants to be precise — it was a very Senegal thing to debut at the World Cup, reach the quarter-finals, and then promptly vanish for the next 16 years.
Recent success has dulled the collective memory, it seems. For years, the Teranga *
Lions were not an African football powerhouse. Had never won an African Cup of Nations (Afcon), frequently qualified for the tournament (would either finish fourth or in the last eight), assembled superb teams, and then flat out whimpered before they roared.
It was with this background that when they arrived at Russia 2018, the Teranga Lions were expected to Teranga Lion. And, of course, they did — making history as the first country ever to be eliminated via the fair play rule. Imagine the ignominy.
“In 2018 we could’ve done better, but things didn’t work out, and it’s a shame because we had a great generation of players. In Qatar, we will benefit from that 2018 experience,” defender Kalilou Koulibaly told Al Jazeera.
Then, as now, the West Africans will be led by the talismanic Sadio, who is presently getting treated in Austria as he hopes to heal before their first game against the Netherlands next Monday, November 21. SuperSport understands that the opener will come too soon for him, however.
In the last four years, however, the group of players have grown up tremendously, and that growth will be felt in Qatar. Potentially, six of their starting line-up would have been in Russia — Youssouf Sabaly, Kalilou Koulibaly, Mané, Gana Gueye, Ismaila Sarr, and Cheickou Kouyate.
Last Friday, the announcement of the squad going to Qatar dominated Senegalese media, with the press conference beamed live on Radiodiffusion Télévision Sénégalais, the national broadcaster.
But it was on private media that the coverage was more dramatic.
Télévision Futur Média (TFM) is owned by Youssour Ndour, the Senegalese music legend, and is the most influential private TV station in the country. They did a build-up, took the presser live, did a post-event analysis, and opened phone lines. There was little critique of Aliou Cissé’s 26-man team for the World Cup. The Teranga Lions are at a point in their history where even kids can comfortably name the starting XI, and a bench of six of eight players. The chemistry has long been built, and has only ever needed smoothening or roughening with the addition and taking out of a few players.
For example, at the 2018 World Cup, Guinea-based Khadim N’Diaye was in goal. After that tournament came the form of Abdoullaye Diallo at Rennes as well as Alfred Gomis at Spal and, in particular, Edouard Mendy. They became so strong in the position that an injury to Mendy that sidelined him during Afcon 2019 was not enough from stopping Gomis from powering them to the final. In truth, the positional headaches Cissé has are few. The toughest call, however, will be how to fashion the team in the possible absence of Mané.
Senegal World Cup Squad Goalkeepers: Edouard Mendy, Alfred Gomis and Seny Dieng.
Defenders: Kalidou Koulibalu, Abdou Diallo, Youssouf Sabaly, Fode Ballo Toure, Pape Abou Cisse, Ismail Jakobs and Formose Mendy.
Midifielders: Gana Guegye, Cheikhou Kouyate, Nampalys Mendy, Krepin Diatta, Pape Gueye, Pape Matar Sarr, Pathe Ciss, Moustapha Name and Loum Ndiaye.
Forwards: Sadio Mané, Ismaila Sarr, Boulaye Dia, Bamba Dieng, Famara Diedhiou, Nicolas Jackson and Iliman Ndiaye.