“Couldn’t be weak,” The tragic but inspiring backstory of Senegal’s coach Aliou Cisse
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Aliou Cisse
Senegal’s football saw many milestones in 2002, including their first World Cup qualification and their first trip to the AFCON championship game. The Lions of Teranga created headlines in Korea and Japan for defeating their colonial overlords France before going on to finish in the quarterfinals, tying the previous-best African record set by Cameroon in Italia ’90.
Senegal was on the verge of making history during both games and played some attractive football, but a national tragedy quickly froze the nation’s happiness. Particularly in anguish was Aliou Cissé, the former captain of the Senegalese team at both competitions and current head coach of the Senegalese national team. On the Joola, a Senegalese boat that capsized on September 26, 2002, off the coast of Gambia, he had lost 11 family members.
For Senegalese who wanted to travel north of the country and avoid border concerns, the boat was a common mode of transportation. There were around 1,900 fatalities as a result of the disaster, which according to the BBC was even worse than the Titanic’s. He later said. “I kept it all to myself, it was a very complicated and difficult day, but my family needed me to be strong for them. They needed my presence. I couldn’t be weak.”
Senegal’s amazing victory breaks Ecuadorians’ hearts
The supporters danced, the drums beat, and the team absorbed the energy and used it to their advantage. Senegal eventually stunned Ecuador with two goals to the latter’s one and secured a spot in the round of 16 of the World Cup. The Senegal player Aliou Cisse, who resembled Snoop Dogg, frequently surpassed the Highline that Ecuador maintained by taking advantage of the quickness of Iliman Ndiaye and Ismaila Sarr in the wings. Saar was tenacious, constantly sprinting, and Piero Hincapie took the Senegal winger down like a farmer plowing wheat with a sickle.
Senegal, who was missing its regular penalty shooter Sadio Mane, squandered valuable time due to a mid-game argument about who should perform the crucial duty. Hernan Galindez attempted to divert the Watford winger, but Saar kept his composure to whisk the ball past him. Senegal had the upper hand the entire time and ought to have taken the lead in the third minute when Idrissa Gueye discovered a huge opening in the Ecuadorian defense, but he was unable to keep his shot on goal after Gueye had scrambled inside the box, Boulaye Dia pulled the next one wide.
Koulibaly’s armband was a tribute to Papa Boupa Diop, who had died in 2020 and had scored the winning goal for Senegal in Korea-Japan over the reigning champion France. And the 2022 team gave him the best honor by advancing to the knockout rounds.
Also Read: 2022 FIFA World Cup Belgium vs Croatia: Live Stream, Match Timings, and Preview
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Ujan Chakraborty
(1240 Articles Published)