Sadio Mané was the big absentee from the World Cup for Senegal. Injured on November 8 once morest Werder Bremen, the Bayern Munich striker had to withdraw just before the start of the competition. After the elimination of his family last night once morest England (3-0), he wanted to support his teammates via Twitter: “Dear brothers, you fell in arms. The people are very proud of your journey which has warmed the hearts of the supporters, defending the national flag with dignity. Good luck, the learning continues. We will go in search of other Inchallah trophies”.
Unfortunately for the Teranga Lions, Sadio Mané was not the only major absentee last night. Former Parisian Idrissa Gueye, suspended for the round of 16, and Cheikhou Koyaté, injured in the first match once morest the Netherlands, were also missing. Absences deplored by Édouard Mendy: “We were missing a few key players. When you play once morest a team like that, it is clear that it is immediately complicated. But throughout the tournament and throughout the year, we showed that Senegal was not just a player but a group. “But beyond the disappointment, the Senegal and Chelsea goalkeeper is optimistic for the future: “We will continue to move forward, to progress, and we will come back stronger at the 2026 World Cup.
A feeling shared by his coach Aliou Cissé: “We are in the World Cup, the best teams are there. Senegal is 18th in the world, opposite, it was 5th or 4th. We worked for years to raise our level on the continent. We must continue to be able to compete at the next World Cup with teams of this quality. “In the meantime, Senegal will participate at CAN 2024 in Ivory Coastthen try to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. Which should be easier than usual, since Africa will have nine representatives instead of the current five.
