Senegal’s national team coach, Aliou Cissé, expressed his satisfaction with his team’s performance in their 1-1 draw against the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) during the World Cup qualifiers. Despite not securing a victory, Cissé remains optimistic and is already focusing on the upcoming match against Mauritania.
Reflecting on the match, Cissé highlighted the positive aspects of Senegal’s play, particularly in the first half. “We approached this match well in the first half.
We took the ball out calmly, set up our circuit of play, and created chances. In front of us, there was also a very good team from Congo.
We knew it wasn’t going to be easy,” he stated during the post-match press conference.
Cissé praised the performances of his key players, especially Ismaila Sarr and Habib Diarra, who were instrumental in Senegal’s attacking efforts.
“Concerning our pistons, whether it was Ismaila Sarr or Habib Diarra, they still performed very well. Indeed, Habib was a little worse in the second half, but we weren’t in too much danger, we were in place.”
The coach acknowledged that while the team created several opportunities, they were unable to capitalize on them to secure a second goal.
“They were trying, but we had transitions that we could have used better, managed better to score this second goal which we missed.”
Overall, Cissé expressed contentment with the team’s performance, despite the draw. “Overall, I’m pretty happy with our performance even if we didn’t win, because it’s a championship.
Winning today could have put us in much calmer conditions, but that is not the case. We will have to be much more ready to go to Mauritania.”
Senegal’s next challenge is an away game against Mauritania, and Cissé is keen on preparing his team to be in optimal condition for the encounter.
The draw against the DRC has set a foundation, but the coach is aware of the need for further improvements and readiness to face the next opponent.
As Senegal continues its journey in the World Cup qualifiers, the team’s resilience and strategic approach under Cissé’s leadership will be crucial.
Fans and supporters will be looking forward to seeing how the team builds on this performance in their quest for World Cup qualification.
