sport news Idrissa Gana Gueye warns England that Senegal have 'no limits' and that are ... trends now
Senegal have become accustomed to going deep into tournaments and their players have warned England they will not be satisfied to bow out gracefully in the first knock-out stage.
'The last 16 is not the objective,' said midfielder Idrissa Gana Gueye after the emotion victory against Ecuador, which set up Sunday's clash with Gareth Southgate's team at the Al Bayt Stadium. 'We see beyond that. We have no limits. We have a squad to go far. Playing like this, we can do something really interesting in this competition.'
The message to 17million Senegalese people from captain and goal hero Kalidou Koulibaly had a similar theme. 'Don't party, don't be happy,' said Koulibaly. 'We did something good but it's only the beginning. England or whoever, we will do everything to win the game. We are Senegal, we fear no-one. Lot's of teams don'tA want to play against us.'
Idrissa Gana Gueye says that his Senegal team are already looking beyond the last sixteen
This is the spirit and determination forged during almost eight years under manager Aliou Cisse, captain of the Senegal team that reached the last eight in 2002.
Cisse is a strong and soothing presence and his team is making clear progress.
In the African Cup of Nations (AFCON), they have developed from quarter finalists in 2017, to runners-up two years later and champions for the first time in February this year, the 2021 edition of the tournament delayed by the Covid pandemic.
In the World Cup, they went out in the group stage in Russia 2018, eliminated on yellow cards after being locked together on four points with Japan, but, this year, advanced from Group A with six points, beating in-form Ecuador 2-1 in a bruising encounter on Tuesday.
Gueye (right) celebrates as Senegal book their place in the knockout stage with win over Ecuador in Group A
Afterwards, Cisse's players all remarked how it had felt so similar to an AFCON tie, intense with so much depending on it, a test of their physical and mental strength.
'They wanted to hurt us but we are used to that,' said Chelsea centre-half Koulibaly,
