Qatar 2022: “We’ll Have To Be Wary And Take One Game At A Time”

Senegal’s leading striker Sadio Mane says he has that astonishing feeling of taking Senegal to Qatar 2022 by obscuring the accomplishments of their team of 2022.

Subsequent to winning CAF Africa Cup of Nations magnificence in February 2022, the Bayern Munich star is very much aware that large things are expected from the Lions of Teranga in Qatar.

The entire country harbors all expectations of seeing the attacker and his team mates match, or even outperform, the adventures of the El-Hadji Diouf-enlivened side at the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan™, where they reached at the quarter-finals.

The 30 year-old CAF African Footballer of the Year holder, changed over the final penalty that booked Senegal’s place at the Qatar masterpiece and is presently planning to swagger his stuff at a second progressive FIFA World Cup™.

During the interview with FIFA+, his desires are that he and his team will pull up some surprises at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Speaking about winning the AFCON 2022, Mane said, as a national team, they had to set the record straight because they’re a nation with a massive passion for football, but they’d never won the Africa Cup of Nations.

Nonetheless, they contended energetically to lift the title but before this, they realize that Senegal’s capability for Qatar would again see them face Egypt. For the time being, as the official African heroes, Senegal basically needed to have their spot at the World Cup.

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On Senegal’s national team coach Aliou Cisse, Mane said having a former player as a coach is exceptionally worthwhile.

“He knows the country inside out and spent some of his childhood abroad. When you look at our squad, we have players from all over the place. He knows how to deal with us and talk to us. He knows the score and served as Senegal captain for many years. The fact that he was national-team captain is an added bonus for us as the new generation of Lions”.

“As for his experience, he was involved in the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations, where Senegal were beaten by Cameroon in the final, a match in which he learnt a great deal. He always talks about that game to us. He has a clear playing style and possesses unconditional love for our sport. He’s passionate and in just a few words and gestures manages to instil that passion in us”

To Sadio Mane, Coach Cisse is a leader and is more like a senior brother to the Senegal team. The team can discuss anything with him and that makes him exceptional. He further said, Cisse gets the best out of the team and that is the reason everybody reports to national team duties cheerfully.

Senegal have been drawn in Group A, along with Qatar, Ecuador and the Netherlands, and as per Mane, they’ll have to show them respect because they’re well placed in the FIFA ranking. They’re a very strong side and have excellent World Cup pedigree.

“However, we mustn’t underestimate the other teams in the group, Ecuador and Qatar, who certainly won’t be there just to make up the numbers. Ecuador had a good qualifying campaign, while Qatar will be tough opponents on home soil. Just like us, they head into the World Cup with a status to defend as Asian champions. We can’t go overlooking any of the teams in our group. We’ll have to be wary, focused and, above all, just take one game at a time.”

Senegal will be heading to Qatar with a clear idea of their strengths and will be giving their all to get as far as possible.

“I know that’s also what our predecessors want to see from us. You only have to look at just how emotional they were when we lifted the Africa Cup of Nations earlier on this year”.