sport news Champions of Africa Senegal add perspiration to bags of inspiration and England ... trends now
The mood at Duhail Sports complex was buoyant last night as Senegal’s squad started the countdown for one of the biggest games in their history.
Under the floodlights, those who had not been involved in the 2-1 defeat of Ecuador, which set up a last-16 showdown with England on Sunday, found themselves being encouraged and cajoled by a divisive character, well known to Premier League crowds.
El-Hadji Diouf — once of Liverpool, Bolton, Blackburn and Leeds — is now an adviser to the president of the Senegal FA but he was working as hard as any of the young men hoping to square up to England in Al Khor, doing laps of the pitch and sweating buckets. And that kind of intense perspiration is exactly what characterises the African champions.
Aliou Cisse will have his Senegal side ready for one of the biggest games in their history
England will know from the word go they are in a fight against the squad managed by Aliou Cisse, who once played for Birmingham and Portsmouth and now bears an uncanny resemblance to Snoop Dogg — something the rapper playfully acknowledged to his 20.7million Twitter followers.
Cisse is a legend in Senegal for delivering the country its first Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year, sparking remarkable scenes in Dakar, but he has not rested on his laurels and, on the outskirts of Doha, it was clear he was advanced in formulating his plans to frustrate Gareth Southgate.
MIGHTY KOULIBALY
Harry Kane is yet to score at this World Cup and it is far from a certainty he will break his duck against a Senegal team who understand the value of protecting their own goal. When they won the AFCON in February, they kept five clean sheets in seven games.
They are not defensively vulnerable because they have genuine world-class talent at their disposal. Kalidou Koulibaly has not shown his best form for Chelsea since joining from Napoli, but the honour of leading his country adds 10 per cent to his game.
Then there is Edouard Mendy, their goalkeeper. Again, his form has fluctuated for Chelsea — certainly since Graham Potter arrived — but this giant of a man is a fearsome
