Senegal out to emulate class of 2002

Senegal caused one of the tournament’s most memorable upsets in its only World Cup appearance, beating holder France in the opening game before going on to reach the quarter-finals. That tournament, however, preceded more than a decade in the doldrums when it never again reached football’s global showpiece or even threatened to capture an African title.

Yet after breezing through qualifying with a team boasting a couple of players who are making waves in some of Europe’s biggest leagues, hopes are high for Russia. The 2002 side was spearheaded by former Liverpool forward El Hadji Diouf and the current crop are also reliant on a man plying his trade on Merseyside.

Attacking talisman Sadio Mane carries the goal-scoring and creative burden for Senegal and heads to the World Cup in good form having helped to fire Liverpool into the Champions League final. While he began the season in underwhelming form, he picked up momentum as it went on, forming a crucial part of one of Europe’s most feared attacking strike forces alongside Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino.

He is not, however, Senegal’s only player to have made a major impact at its club this season. Its defence is marshalled by Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly, a man-mountain, whose pace and strength make him a formidable obstacle. 

Koulibaly has been part of a Napoli side that pushed Juventus all the way in the Italian title race, although his season closed with contrasting emotions.

He scored the winner when the top two played each other in April before seeing red after five minutes in their very next match, a 3-0 defeat by Fiorentina that effectively ended its Serie A hopes. Senegal, coached by its captain in 2002, Aliou Cisse, lost only once in qualifying comfortably.

That 2-1 defeat in South Africa, however, was later expunged from the records after FIFA found that the referee had manipulated the match on behalf of a betting syndicate. It will certainly not be daunted by what awaits it in Russia, having been drawn in Group H alongside Poland, Colombia and Japan with no clear favourite to progress.

If it is to emulate its predecessors in 2002 and reach the quarter-finals, it will then have to play the first or second-placed team from Group G, which features Belgium, England, Panama and Tunisia.

FIFA ranking: 28 

Previous tournaments: Senegal’s only prior appearance at the World Cup came in 2002 when it beat holder France in the opening game before going on to reach the quarter-finals. It became only the second African country to progress that far at the tournament.   

Form guide: Senegal’s last two World Cup warm-up matches both ended in draws — 1-1 with Uzbekistan and 0-0 with Bosnia. It is unbeaten in its last seven matches, however, and have conceded only twice in its last five.

Prospects: Senegal will fancy its chances of making it into the knockout rounds having been drawn in Group H alongside Poland, Colombia and Japan. Should it make it to the second round, they will play the first or second-placed team from Group G.