Defeated in the initial leg in Abidjan with a scoreline of 3-1, Senegal braces itself for a critical encounter against Ivory Coast on November 16 in a bid to secure qualification for the World Cup. The pivotal match, relocated to Morocco due to the suspension of the Dakar stadium, has captured the attention of the entire nation. Despite the challenging defensive performance in the first leg, Senegal exhibited promising attacking capabilities.
In the confines of the Casablanca stadium, the Lions of Teranga are cognizant of the formidable task at hand but are determined to overturn the deficit against the Elephants. Players like Momo Diamé see not qualifying for Brazil as a sense of unfulfilled duty towards the Senegalese people. According to Me Augustin Senghor, president of the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF), the prevailing sentiment among the players is a collective commitment to redemption, emphasizing that they aim to erase the image from the first leg in Abidjan.
“The best shared feeling is that the players say that they owe revenge to the Senegalese people, less in the result than in the manner,” remarked Senghor, underscoring the players’ determination to rectify their previous performance. He emphasized that the objective for Senegal is to unsettle Ivory Coast and secure qualification for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Senghor encouraged the Lions to approach the match with the mindset of challenging their luck and participating in a World Cup final phase, an opportunity that doesn’t come around frequently in a footballer’s career.
