When the dream of a second round of 16 came true after 20 years, the Senegalese “Lions of Teranga” became very emotional. Captain Kalidou Koulibaly kept pointing his number 19 armband on the victory lap at Chalifa International Stadium and goalkeeper Edouard Mendy snatched the placard that read ‘Real lions never die’.
On the second anniversary of the death of former World Cup hero Papa Bouba Diop, the Senegalese selection, even without their injured superstar Sadio Mané, put their country in a second frenzy with a 2-1 (1-0) win against Ecuador. Back home in Dakar, thousands of people flocked to the streets and celebrated the coup.
“A special day for Senegal”
“I dedicate this victory to Papa Bouba Diop and Bruno Metsu. But also to a man who gave a lot for the country but is unfortunately not here: Sadio Mané,” said Senegal coach Aliou Cissé, who was still a man in the 2002 World Cup fairy tale captain on the pitch. At that time, Diop – the man with the number 19 – started the dream journey with his 1-0 winning goal in the opening game against reigning world champions France, which only came to an end in the quarter-finals. Two years ago he died at the age of only 42 from the nervous disease ALS, the then successful coach Metsu had already died in 2013.
Now Koulibaly and Co. wrote their own chapter of success. The captain went ahead and scored the 2-1 winner. Earlier, England boss Moises Caicedo (68th) equalized the first-time Senegalese lead by Ismaila Sarr with a penalty kick (44th). “It was a special day for Senegal,” Koulibaly said, adding, looking at Diop, “We wanted to make him proud and honor him. He made me dream as a boy, he inspired me. We wanted our country and dad’s family proud make.”
They really did. Smiling broadly, Koulibaly added: “A lot of people saw us out after the first game but we wanted to do something big here.” And that without her superstar Mané. Africa’s footballer of the year had injured his fibula in the Bundesliga and had to have an operation. The Bayern striker writes to his teammates almost every day. Mané had converted the decisive penalty in winning the African Cup of Nations and the last game in the World Cup qualifier.
Koulibaly: “Mane is missing, but we are a team”
“He sent us a message before the game. We’re a big family,” said Koulibaly. He couldn’t believe it when the news of Mané’s serious injury before the World Cup made the rounds. “He’s a star, a world-class player, a key player. But we’re a team. Now other players have shone.”
In Mané’s absence, other players such as Watford FC’s lightning-fast Sarr stepped into the breach. The striker also won the penalty following a foul by Leverkusen’s Piero Hincapie in front of a crowd of 44,569 and put in a strong showing down the left flank usually occupied by Mané.
For the selection of Ecuador, which would have been enough to progress with a point, the World Cup ended again in the preliminary round, for the third time in three participations. “It’s a big setback, a big frustration. It’s a big pain. But we put in a good performance at this World Cup. I hope that will help us in the future,” said coach Gustavo Alfaro.
For Senegal, the journey continues in Qatar. “We want to go as far as possible. We want to write our history, we have to believe in it,” emphasized Koulibaly. Mané will keep his fingers crossed in Munich, and possibly Diop in the sky too.
