Yehawann Diouf reacts after Senegal concede in 4-1 win over Sudan

Senegal goalkeeper Yehawann Diouf says his side must examine their defensive shortcomings after conceding a goal in their 4-1 victory over Sudan in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on Thursday.

The Lions secured a comfortable win at the Léopold Sédar Senghor Stadium, but Diouf believes there are areas of their performance that need improvement despite the convincing scoreline.

Speaking to wiwsport after the match, the Senegal goalkeeper said the result was the most important thing as the team continued their pursuit of qualification for the 2027 AFCON.

“We’re obviously happy. Senegal’s objective is to finish first in the group and qualify for the AFCON. After that, the performance is important, but the result is paramount,” he explained to wiwsport after the match.

Although Senegal scored four goals to claim all three points, Diouf admitted that the team did not always maintain the required organisation and intensity during the encounter.

The goalkeeper pointed to the distance between players and a lack of movement as some of the issues that affected their overall performance against Sudan.

“We were sometimes too stretched out or too far apart. We needed a bit more movement, a bit more intensity and pace to achieve what we wanted,” he analyzed.

Diouf also addressed Senegal’s failure to keep a clean sheet, admitting that conceding a goal was disappointing, particularly for players responsible for defensive duties.

However, the goalkeeper insisted that such moments are part of football and stressed that the team must focus on understanding what went wrong rather than dwelling on the setback.

He said the coaching staff and players would review the goal conceded to identify the mistakes that allowed Sudan to find the net.

“As a goalkeeper and defender, you don’t like conceding goals. But if we wanted to keep clean sheets in every match, we would. These things happen. Conceding goals is part of football. Now, we’re going to analyze why we conceded them and move forward,” he concluded.

Despite the goal conceded, Senegal’s 4-1 victory represents a positive result in their 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign.

Diouf’s comments, however, underline the importance of improving the team’s defensive organisation as the Lions continue their efforts to finish top of their qualifying group and secure a place at the tournament.