In Algeria where he is, the president of the Senegalese football federation expressed his satisfaction at seeing Senegal reach the final of CHAN 2022. This should inspire the U17 and U20 selections which will soon enter the competition. In this interview, the Senegalese football boss talks about the work done in all the national selections in concert with the efforts and ambitions of the FSF which are currently bearing fruit.
We know the Senegal group for the CAN U17, how will the preparation of the Cubs go? Will they follow in the footsteps of their elders currently in the CHAN final?
The tournament is in April-May, and we won’t wait. I have already contacted the DTN so that, in connection with coach Serigne Saliou Dia, the preparation can be launched. And as usual, for two to three months, the work will be done hard in our Toubab Dialaw or Guereo centers and the team will have friendly matches. If there are opportunities to participate in tournaments, they will do so to be on top. Because today, that’s the most important thing. We don’t wait until the last moment to prepare ourselves. You saw it with the Chan team, they played a lot of tournaments. And the maturity they showed yesterday in the semi-finals is because they played Cosafa finals, they went to Turkey to play semi-final matches, also a lot of friendlies.
While waiting for the CAN U-17, the U-20 selection is also in the home stretch for the CAN which starts on February 18.
It will be the same for the U20s of Malick Daff who will soon enter the scene in Egypt in three weeks. This is already the case with the women’s team which has just won the Ufoa Dames tournament in Cape Verde. And who from February 6, so in three or four days, will join New Zealand for a 15-day preparation at the expense of the Federation. Because we give ourselves the chance to qualify and we put our athletes, boys or girls, in the best conditions of preparation and results. That’s what we will do with the U17s. He may miss everything in the team except good preparation. I know that for the rest, we have an experienced coach who is Serigne Saliou Dia, and he will be strong as he is used to doing, by making the team competitive to also return to the World Cup and why not seek the continental trophy in this category. We hope it will be a successful competition like the Chan we are experiencing.
In recent years, especially the current one, national teams have qualified for continental competitions. Senegal is eagerly awaited…
I think that as the coaches themselves said, we are in a certain global dynamic of our football which means that today our national teams are quite efficient. The merit of this team is that it knew how to keep its level of competitiveness, while renewing itself from one competition to another, from one stage to another. And it’s not easy because we know that in football quality players who leave are not immediately replaced position for position. But we were able to do it, and that’s the merit of the technical management but especially of the coach Pape Thiaw who knew how to adapt. But it is also the merit of the Federation.
What is the secret or the efforts behind achieving this level of performance?
Today, as I said, the environment of our national teams has become so efficient that the coaches are in optimal working conditions. Our centers also allow us to produce a good game, just as our championship allows us to hatch a lot of quality and young players. If we look at the average age of the teams present in this Chan there, we realize that Senegal has one of the youngest teams. And that is important. Despite everything, these young people had selections in U17 and U20. So that’s what makes them already arrive as a really very experienced senior team. It’s a plus for our football, a chance. Because when you look at those who play today in this Chan, there are several who can, if coach Malick Daff wishes, join the U20 team.
One of the convincing results is undoubtedly this final of the CHAN
This final while waiting for us to win it, because it is important to no longer be satisfied with playing finals but to win, still marks at a certain level, the recognition of the improvement in the quality of our local football. . Whether professional or also amateur. Because there is regularity, good organization now in the teams, and we also don’t hesitate to launch young people very early on in our elite teams. And that, I can say that it creates in our country a huge, almost inexhaustible pool of quality players who are gaining in experience, tactical mastery and confidence. What makes the secret of having arrived in the final.
From now on, Senegal has the status of favorite in major events
We had always claimed in our vision as a federal team that we wanted to place ourselves very high in terms of performance everywhere in Africa and in the world. It was said that you never win trophies, but to win you must first play in the finals. We are there now. Let’s go and win the trophies every chance we get. The players believe in it, we leaders too. There is a good organization in the teams, because we hesitate to launch very early also in our elite teams and that creates in our country a huge, almost inexhaustible pool of quality players who gain in experience, who gain in mastery tactics, who are gaining in confidence and that’s what makes the secret of this final that we succeeded against teams which for some presented their A teams or half of their A team.
The slogan “Manko Wutti Ndam Li” brings the happiness of Senegalese finally…
We all turn towards one thing and I think it’s even you the press who pushed us there. That is to say, it is victory and therefore we maintain this “Manko Woutti Ndamli” dynamic. Every time we win we say “Manko Woutti yeneini Ndam” it will continue as long as we can because it’s good to put yourself on a performance plateau but what is most important is to Stay there and we must never give up or lower our ambitions.