32 Days / 32 Teams — Day 30
World Cup Preview: Senegal
Senegal participates in the World Cup for just the second time, but with a lot of excitement surrounding a side that has world-class talent at various positions on the pitch. Their debut in 2002 was less heralded, yet yielded fantastic results nonetheless. Although no one expects a Quarter Final run like the one from South Korea and Japan, there’s certainly enough talent here to get out of the group stage and make some noise.
The Road So Far:
Like Costa Rica in 2014, the 2002 version of Senegal had to overcome incredible odds to survive the Group Stage. Drawn with defending Champions France, a talented Denmark squad, and the much more historically accomplished Uruguay, virtually no one gave Senegal a chance. Things quickly changed when they defeated the French in the inaugural match. Two draws over the next two games saw them finish in second place. They continued their fairy tale run by defeating Sweden in sudden death for a place in the Quarter Final, but then suffered the same fate themselves against Turkey.
Aliou Cissé, the leader on the field in 2002, now leads his nation again but from the sidelines. He guided his squad through what was a bit of an unusual qualifying campaign. An original loss to South Africa was negated when Fifa expelled referee Joseph Lamptey as a result of match fixing. In a rare scheduled replay, Senegal reversed the original 2–1 defeat, turning it into a 2–1 victory. Nevertheless, without the replay Senegal would still have finished ahead of Burkina Faso and Cape Verde Islands — the other two nations rounding out their qualifying group.
While the 2002 team was almost entirely based in France’s Ligue 1, Cissé’s new side features players from the likes of the Premier League and Serie A, as well as some smaller leagues such as the ones in Belgium and Turkey. The Lions of Teranga have more recognizable names now than they did 16 years ago, and that should scare opponents.
The Road Ahead:
After opening things up in 2002 as a member of Group A, this time Senegal closes things out in Group H. Poland-Senegal will be the last game of the first round, followed by a tie with Japan and then the very last game of the Group Stage against Colombia.
Senegal will unquestionably have a tough road ahead of them, but there are many pieces to make use of in different situations.
Against a dodgy Polish defense, the easiest and first thing to point at is Liverpool’s Sadio Mané. He’ll undoubtedly be the focal point in attack, having had an excellent season for both club and country. He’s already drawn comparisons to to El Hadji Diouf, who is another former Liverpool winger and was named to the best eleven of the 2002 tournament — the only Senegalese player to feature. If Mané excels, the comparison will only strengthen. In Monaco’s Keita Baldé Senegal has a second exceptional winger, while Torino’s M’Baye Niang spearheads the topline in a 4–3–3 formation. Although Senegal is a comparatively balanced team, it’s evident that the most skill is concentrated here at the top. When switching to a 4–2–2 formation, the wingers can drop back and Cissé can bring on Rennes striker Diafra Sakho.
For Japan, they’ll want to combat in the midfield, relying primarily on West Ham’s Cheikhou Kouyate. An English-centric middle will also likely include Everton’s Idrissa Gueye and Stoke City’s Badou Ndiaye. Assuming the more likely 4–3–3 formation is utilized, the trio will look to keep the ball away from the likes of Keisuke Honda and Shinji Kagawa, and feeding their teammates ahead quickly and efficiently.
Colombia features the most attacking threats in Group H, and here they’ll want to have a sound defensive performance. For that they’ll be looking for Napoli star Kalidou Koulibaly to make some big stops, simultaneously keeping his line organized. Said line could be made up of Hannover’s Salif Sane next to Koulibaly, and Lamine Gassama and Youssouf Sabaly at the full back positions.
If Senegal sits at the top of the group when the dust has settled, they may set up a really interesting Round of 16 match against England. Second place would probably see them get Belgium.
Best Case Scenario:
Senegal is fast and ruthless, with Mané and Baldé slicing and dicing through Poland and Japan’s defenses for two wins and a perfect start. An exciting final game against Colombia finished in a draw, but thanks to closely contested battles in the rest of the games, Senegal’s two previous wins are enough to guarantee first place. In the Round of 16, they become England’s latest nightmare. Recalling vivid memories of 2002 they march on to meet Germany in the Quarter Final. With the majority of the world cheering them on, Cissé’s team makes things very interesting, but ultimately falls short of another upset.
Worst Case Scenario:
Earlier injuries to Mané reoccur early on and take out Senegal’s biggest threat. A narrow defeat to Poland and a draw against Japan puts them in a bad spot. Colombia needs three points in their last game and they ensure they get it, ending Senegal’s campaign in disappointment.
Final Prediction:
Group H is fascinating. Every single team can progress, and I don’t really see any one of them having a clear edge over the others, but my gut says Colombia and Poland go through. Senegal will be very close, but I think they ultimately only get a desired result from the game against Japan.
