“In football, there is nothing predetermined, even when facing the challenge of recovering a two-goal deficit against Ivory Coast,” stated Lions coach Alain Giresse on Wednesday in Dakar.
Giresse, the French coach of Senegal, remains optimistic despite the team being behind by two goals. He believes his players will rise to the occasion, stating, “I am optimistic; it is not impossible for us to come back from two goals against Côte d’Ivoire.”
According to Giresse, the key difference between Ivory Coast and Senegal lies in the experience brought by the Ivorian players, whereas the Senegalese team relies more on youth. He emphasized the need for total commitment from the Senegalese players and expressed confidence that they can overturn the deficit.
The Lions will be based in Al Jadida, 96 km from Casablanca, where the match is scheduled for November 16. Giresse noted that Ivory Coast had already secured the best hotel facilities, making Senegal the host for this encounter.
The Senegalese team will start their training camp on November 11 in Al Jadida, staying there until November 14 before moving to Casablanca for their only training session on the match field. They will hand over the field to the Ivorian team on November 15, a day before the match.
In the squad announced by Giresse, three changes were made: Pape Kouly Diop (Levante – Spain), Zarco Touré (Le Havre – France), and Mame Birame Diouf (Hannover – Germany) replaced Modou Sougou (Evian TG – France), Ibrahima Baldé (Moscow), and Lamine Gassama (Rennes).