SFG Guide to AFCON 2015 | Page 64

Senegal

Introduction

Two years ago, it was hard to see where Senegalese football was heading next. It was clear that there was no dearth of attacking talent, but after being battered in their tie with Ivory Coast, their place among Africa's elite was questionable. Not only that, but the riots that left the second leg of the tie abandoned led to a one-year ban from playing at home from CAF. Despite topping their World Cup group, they again lost to Ivory Coast in the final play-off.

Nonetheless, the progress made since the January 2013 appointment of Alain Giresse, whose past credits include turning around the fortunes of Gabon and Mali, is palpable. As you would expect from the vastly-experienced former France international, this is now a well-drilled, difficult-to-beat team; in their qualifying group, they conceded only one goal, a last-minute winner for Tunisia which ultimately cost them the group win. They qualified in second place, but with the highest number of points for a group runner-up. Two wins over Egypt demonstrate the different trajectories of the two nations in recent years.

The knock-on effect is that despite the abundance of quality strikers, including Papiss Cissé, Moussa Sow, Dame N'Doye, Mame Biram Biouf and Diafra Sakho, they only scored eight goals in those six qualifiers, five of which came against group whipping boys Botswana. This won't be a pretty side to watch, but it's the most effective Senegal team in a generation. Are they back amongst the elite? It's hard to tell, but we're going to find out in a group which also includes three other fancied contenders.

Mame Biram Biouf and Diafra Sakho, they only scored eight goals in those six qualifiers, five of which came against group whipping boys Botswana. This won't be a pretty side to watch, but it's the most effective Senegal team in a generation. Are they back amongst the elite? It's hard to tell, but we're going to find out in a group which also includes three other fancied contenders.

The Framework

Giresse teams are notoriously tough to beat, and that is borne out by Senegal's record in competitive matches under him; six wins, four draws, two defeats. The only teams to have beaten them are Ivory Coast, once one of the strongest sides in Africa, and Tunisia, currently one of the strongest sides in Africa. At the heart of the team is three defensively-minded midfielders: Mohamed Diamé of Hull City, Lille's Idrissa Gueye, and West Ham's Cheikhou Kouyate, with Alfred N'Diaye, formerly of Sunderland, and Levante's Papakouli Diop as the current back-ups. The big question is whether or not attackers like N'Doye and Diouf are good enough to create their own chances.