Coach Serigne Saliou Dia, what does this historic crowning of Senegal at CAN U17 symbolize for you?
Serigne Saliou Dia: This coronation represents quite a lot of issues. It’s the expression of a job accomplished. It’s the expression of a tough work began a very long time in the past. It is the expression of quite a lot of sacrifices as a result of it wasn’t simple firstly. If we take a look at all of the adventures now we have encountered, we needed to combat onerous to get to the place we’re.
Have you ever been careworn for a second, seeing your workforce hit upon the Moroccan defensive curtain for nearly an hour?
Serigne Saliou Dia: I cannot go as far as to say that we had been careworn with this drawback within the rating. I used to be positive the boys would do it. It’s not simple for kids to evolve towards such a defensive block. The large groups even have this concern, particularly youngsters. We simply needed to discover options. We needed to exchange Amara as 2nd striker, change some gamers’ positions. We tried to thrust back the opposing block by passing throughout the width.
The primary factor is that my gamers find yourself discovering the flaw. So we weren’t actually careworn, we insisted many times on the directions. Once we took our replacements Savané and Niabaly off the bench, it was to repair within the axis and permit Amara to stay extra free. And Niabaly was extra to stretch the protection of Morocco. From the primary actions, we felt that it was going to go. We had this penalty and the successful aim on the finish of the match.
Earlier than the beginning of the competitors, there have been many who doubted this decimated workforce in comparison with that of the UFOA match in October. How did you handle to construct a aggressive workforce in such a short while?
Once we say {that a} coach should have the ability to anticipate potential occasions that will happen, it’s on this sense that we put a really massive group through the preselections. Sixty gamers in reserve. It was exactly to beat these issues associated to MRI. The U17s are a really advanced choice. You may guess on a participant who may be pinned due to higher maturity. We would have liked to take the lead with this participant base. As quickly as we misplaced these gamers, we knew who to name to strengthen the workforce.
There have been gamers that we had seen throughout pleasant matches. The issue was extra to seek out put this workforce again in place, rework the sport mannequin. We took the required time and tried to have a aggressive workforce. Our model of play is just not very simple to assimilate. Once we ask our gamers to press very excessive, after we ask them to run when counter-pressing. Once we ask our gamers to keep up a excessive block, these are issues that can’t be realized in a single day. We had quite a lot of time, which allowed us to right some perceived difficulties throughout our pleasant matches.
𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙈𝙋𝙄𝙊𝙉𝙎 𝘿’𝘼𝙁𝙍𝙄𝙌𝙐𝙀 🏆⭐️♥️#TotalEnergiesAFCONU17 #Algeria2023 pic.twitter.com/RclrNO2QQi
— FSF (@Fsfofficielle) May 20, 2023
How does Serigne Saliou Dia decide the general degree of this CAN U17?
The African degree is getting nearer and nearer to the European degree. We’re working effectively. Once we see these alternatives, Burkina Faso with glorious gamers, Morocco with younger gamers who have already got this tactical tradition of the low and airtight block. While you see the wonderful Mali workforce with a really clear inside sport.
Senegal too, even when we began from afar. And even different groups on this match eradicated earlier than the semi-finals like Algeria or South Africa who had an amazing workforce. The extent is being raised. That is a very powerful by way of coaching. Figuring out what’s being accomplished on the prime degree, making an attempt to work to get there. We’re not very removed from the extent of European alternatives, on the degree of what’s finest accomplished in small classes.
Inform us about Amara Diouf, her match, her technical qualities…
Amara (Diouf) is a boy I’ve recognized for a really very long time at Génération Foot. We see one another each day on the academy. He’s a proficient boy, a boy who has not proven his full potential on this CAN, folks ignore it. Amara is a really gifted particular person, able to extraordinary feats.
Not way back he was voted finest participant of the Mouhamed VI match in Morocco. They had been U19s there. This time it was towards U17s. It would not shock anybody.
He’s a really robust boy with many qualities. He has to work even tougher as a result of he nonetheless has an extended method to go. He should arm himself much more with humility to remain in the proper course and be on acquainted phrases with the most effective.
What are the ambitions for this 2nd U17 World Cup for Senegal after the eighth in 2019?
These are boys who must proceed their training. It’s true that the African Cup was a stage with the trophy on the finish which is simply the icing on the cake. However the first goal is to have gamers who’ve a superb angle, gamers who perceive the sport, who learn the sport. It is to have gamers able to adapting to any scenario.
The World Cup can be one other step for them, to develop, to find new opponents. In the event that they keep on this dynamic as was the case on the CAN, their progress can be efficient. However the goal is to not go and win this World Cup, it’s to proceed to coach, to make them develop and inside one or two years, to endow Senegal with glorious U20s, glorious U23. And why not glorious gamers from the A workforce.
Eight years after successful the African Video games with the U23 choice, you gained the CAN U17. Which of the 2 has marked you essentially the most as a Coach?
Each are essential. The primary occurs in a context the place it was the desert. Senegal had but to win a continental trophy. And this coronation marked me as a result of we had misplaced a participant, Mamadou Salif Ndiaye, died in full regrouping. And we had given ourselves the phrase to combat to honor his reminiscence. He left on the prime of his life and we could not do higher than to get this title for him. The boys devoted this victory to him.
This aim of taking part in for Salif mobilized the entire group. For this reason this title on the African Video games was crucial to me. I bear in mind through the remaining, I took all of the press clippings throughout my briefing. I did not must say a lot. An important match, I simply posted the photographs of Salif Ndiaye. I stated to my gamers: ”can we deserve greater than him to stay?” All of them answered ”no”. That they did not do something greater than him to should be there. I informed them that we needed to win this match to honor his reminiscence. It was not a simple match. Confronted with Burkina Faso who had simply suffered a coup the day earlier than this remaining. The Burkinabe gamers had been decided to make their folks proud. However that day, we had been much more decided to honor the reminiscence of Mamadou Salif Ndiaye.
And for CAN U17?
This CAN U17 trophy can be essential as a result of Senegal had simply lined up 5 coronations. We needed to convey again the sixth. So we fought with all our would possibly to get him. Particularly coming from youngsters who two years in the past had by no means performed worldwide matches, had by no means performed within the rain, youngsters who had by no means performed on pure grass. Reaching such a result’s thrilling. There was this monumental problem in entrance of us, to keep up this dynamic of Senegalese soccer victories. The 2 coronations are price their weight in gold.
By Moustapha M. SADIO
Supply: sportnewsafrica
