ALIOU CISSE PLACED SENEGAL ON THE FOOTBALL MAP
ALIOU CISSE PLACED SENEGAL ON THE FOOTBALL MAP
By Rashmi Goel
It has become so easy these days to utter the word legend in football that it no longer holds as much significance as it once did. In the case of Senegal coach Aliou Cisse, the term is more than justified and even an understatement, given how much he has done for the Lions of Teranga both as a player and as their coach. In the crucial Group A decider against Ecuador, he helped take Senegal to the knockout stage twice, something no other figure in Senegalese football had ever done before. The fact that Senegal has qualified for the tournament 20 years after its first appearance at the final is fitting. He has contributed to the development of Senegal's footballing landscape, not only in Africa but throughout the world, through his efforts both on and off the field.
If When you reflect on the last 20 years, Senegal dominated the World Cup in their debut tournament and made it to the quarter-finals on their first outing. With a 1-0 victory, they showed the world that they were not just there to make up the numbers as they stunned reigning world champions France on the biggest stage of all. The victory follows Senegal's first appearance in the Africa Cup of Nations final earlier this year, where they were defeated on penalties by Cameroon...with Cisse missing the deciding penalty kick. Cisse and his teammates went back to the drawing board because they were aware of the biggest moment in their careers just a short time later. Even though their fairytale run in South Korea and Japan ended against Turkey in the quarter-finals, it instilled pride in the African nation, and Cisse co-wrote themselves into the Lions of Teranga lore. Cisse's story did not end there, as it had just begun for most of his teammates.
He returned to the Senegal national team shortly after retiring from international football in 2005. Over a three-year period, Cisse assisted the previous two Senegal managers, Joseph Koto and Alain Giresse. It was during Cisse's two predecessors' tenure that he obtained the necessary knowledge to implement his own style after taking over the helm. The Senegalese Football Federation turned to Cisse after Girresse failed to lead Senegal out of the group stage at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. Despite his lack of experience, it proved to be an excellent decision. Cisse has a passion for the national team that no other person in the world matches, and from this passion were sown the seeds of a brighter future for the national team. A remarkable seven-year run has seen him lead the Lions of Teranga to two AFCON finals, in 2021 and 2022, winning the latter to claim their first major trophy. The kicker may have missed a penalty two decades ago, but he prepared his team to avoid making the same mistake when they defeated Egypt on penalties 4-2 two decades later.
His impressive leadership has also allowed Senegal to reach consecutive World Cup tournaments for the first time and is looking forward to its first meeting with England in the round of 16 in Qatar. This has also been achieved without their star player Sadio Mane, who was ruled out shortly before the start of the tournament. Cisse spent four years of his playing career in the Premier League with Birmingham City and Portsmouth, so he will have some understanding of what to expect from both the crowd and the team. Players are all hooked on his philosophy due to his natural aura as a leader. His characteristics have made him the ideal coach for the Lions of Teranga. Although a tough match with England awaits, Cisse will have his players fired up to take part in this particular roaring encounter.
