Call it naivete, but how often have you watched a team from the continent go toe-to-toe with the world’s best only to be punished either via their own silly mistake or due to failure to concentrate at a crucial time?
Senegal’s defeat to the Netherlands in their opening match of the 2022 Fifa World Cup in Qatar on Monday evening was again an indication of how much work needs to be done by African teams to match the precision and application of the best of Europe.
The Lions of Teranga appeared to be holding their own, and on some occasions even seemed to have the edge over the Dutch in the Group B game at Doha’s Al Thumama Stadium, until they got sucker-punched late in the match.
An uncharacteristically poor attempt at clearing a high cross into the box by Chelsea’s highly-rated Eduardo Mendy allowed Cody Gakpo to head in the late goal that took the wind out of the Africans’ sails.
It was thus not surprising when the Dutch scored a second goal via Davy Klaasen in the nine minutes added for stoppages to register what unfairly seemed, by the score line, a runaway victory.
The reality, however, is that Aliou Cissé’s charges were impressive overall as they matched their illustrious title dark horse opposition in just about every aspect. Senegal are in Qatar carrying the title of African champions and are looked at as the potential best performers from Caf (the Confederation of African Football) in Qatar.
That standing was always going to be undermined by the absence through injury of their talismanic Bayren Munich superstar Sadio Mané, and Senegal were always going to lack that sharpness that has seen them become the dominant force of African football.
Yet for a long time against Netherlands they gave as good as they got with Ismaila Sarr impressive on the wing and often looking threatening in the final third of the pitch. The Africans did not have the finishing precision required at this level of the game, and against quality outfits such as the Dutch that could always prove costly.
The Lions of Teranga could well look back and feel the injury to the experienced midfielder Cheickhou Kouyate, who was stretchered off in the second half, was what undid them. Netherlands, though, turned things their way via the introduction of Barcelona star Memphis Depay.
Senegal are thus yet to keep a clean sheet at the World Cup since that glorious 1-0 victory over then defending world champions France at the 2002 tournament, where they surged to a memorable quarterfinal run.
They were breached in all of their three matches at the 2018 edition hosted by Russia, where they were eliminated at the group phase due to a poorer disciplinary record compared to Japan, with whom they were equal on points, goal difference and goals scored.
Cissé must now find it in himself to lift his team and get them to overcome both Qatar and Ecuador if they are to make their way to the knockout stages.
On the strength of their performance against the Netherlands, they should be able to get the better of the host nation, who were also beaten 2-0 in their opening match against the central Americans. It is the Lions’ final clash against Ecuador that is sure to prove decisive, with Senegal likely to need to beat the South Americans to progress out of the group phase.
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