Moussa Niakhaté is determined to use Senegal’s upcoming friendly against England as a platform to showcase the national team’s evolution, both tactically and mentally, since their last meeting at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The central defender, who will return to Nottingham’s City Ground—his former home with Nottingham Forest—for the high-profile friendly on Tuesday, 10 June, spoke with measured emotion and confidence about the significance of the occasion.
For Niakhaté, who missed the World Cup through injury, this match carries both personal and professional meaning.
“We’re looking forward to this match because these are games to be played,” Niakhaté said during a press conference. “We’re going to prepare for this match like any other. We’re going to give it our all and, by the same token, try to win it.”
Senegal’s defeat to England in the round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup still lingers in the memory of many fans, but for Niakhaté, this friendly is not about revenge. Instead, he emphasized the team’s growth since that disappointment in Qatar.
“It’s true that one of our last defeats was at the World Cup in Qatar. I don’t think we’ll have a revenge spirit tomorrow. It’s a completely different match. It’s a match where we can prove that we’ve evolved in our style of play.”
Niakhaté highlighted the changes within the squad since that tournament, underlining the value of the new additions and how they’ve contributed to the team’s progression.
“There have been new players since then. For example, I wasn’t at the World Cup. It’s a good opportunity to show that we’ve evolved, that we’ve grown, that we’ve evolved offensively, defensively, and tactically. It will be an opportunity to show that we’re in good shape.”
With the Africa Cup of Nations fast approaching and World Cup qualifiers already on the horizon, facing a top-tier opponent like England serves as an important benchmark for the Lions of Teranga.
“Six months before the Africa Cup of Nations and a year before a potential World Cup, it’s good to face nations like this. We never wanted to hide; we always wanted these teams. Tomorrow is an opportunity, and I hope we can seize it by doing something good, having fun above all, and making the Senegalese proud.”
Reflecting on his return to Nottingham, Niakhaté spoke warmly about his time at Forest and a reunion with his former teammate Morgan Gibbs-White.
“I’m very happy to be reunited with Morgan. But more than that, I’m happy to be back here, in this stadium that meant so much to me. I stayed here for two years, I was able to realize my dream of playing in the Premier League through these colors.”
The match against England will not only test Senegal’s progress, but it also gives Niakhaté a chance to reconnect with a special chapter of his career.
“When you leave a club, you always hope to return to the stadium where you played, but to return with the colors of Senegal, I didn’t even expect such a wonderful gift.”
As for his friendship with Gibbs-White, Niakhaté noted their shared history and light-hearted rivalry.
“He knows very well the love I have for Senegal. When I missed the World Cup due to my injury, he saw me suffering inside. And we often laughed that one day we would face each other, because he teased me a lot when England eliminated Senegal. And today, destiny has brought us together. But tomorrow we will be opponents for 90 minutes and then we will find our beautiful friendship again.”
