Balance is the key to collective expression
Inducted as the head local selection’s coach in April 2022 after the death Joseph Koto in a car accident, Pape Thiaw quickly found a tactical base to implement his precepts. This selection is in accordance with the principles of football. A team supported by highly skilled, athletic players. We are at the 11Th day, says Cheikh Guèye, coach of the Stade de Mbour. Today, the Senegalese players have reached psychological maturity. This team is well-established on the mental level. The tactical level is where the coach’s merit lies. He looked at the strengths of the players in order to achieve a defensive and offensive balance. “, he analyzed at the microphone of SNA.
This team is the coach of Joan of Arc, and also assistant to Joseph Koto. Badara Sarr was the coach of Senegal in his first two participations in 2009-2011. It’s a team that has grown well, with a solid defense and a well-articulated midfielder, Ousmane Kane, and Lamine Camara as a metronome. We feel the team has good set piece strategies. In offensive animation, we also see preferential circuits. This shows that the team has been well-shaped “, he noted. “Pape Thiaw, currently Jeanne d’Arc coach in Dakar (National 1) quickly found an 11 type. It’s a team emerging with an irremovable goalkeeper, defense. Apart from the changes in the middle between Elimane (Cissé) and Moussa (Ndiaye), the team is irremovable. We feel that the structure works well. Pape Thiaw really has put together a strong, competitive team. My opinion is that Senegal is one the most attractive selections in the first round. Experts consider Senegal to be one of the favorite teams in this tournament He added, “
A coach who likes attacking
While it is obvious that Pape Thiaw was built his success on defensive foundations; the fact remains that the former Niary Tally coach has the will to take on his team. This team dominates its opponents as evidenced by its first three matches. Senegal is a fun team with trapeze ball outings. From the goalkeeper to one side’s central defense. Even if the intention was there, there are few balloon exits to a triangle. Opponents try to stop this method by trying isolate Lamine Camara, our midfielder who is the starter in this triangle exit method. Ousmane Kane is still the sentry. “, recognizes coach Cheikh Guèye.
Also read: CHAN 2022: These countries have disappointed: Mali, Cameroon and DRC
The Thiaw method consists of favoring the game of fixation in the axis with the doublet Lamine Camara-Elimane Cissé and the center-forward Cheikh Ibra Diouf in pivot. “But the goal remains to spread to all sides with supersonic Wingers. The right side of the team is very interesting with the pair Sané-Malick Mbaye. In the organization in the middle, even if Kane is closer in what seems to be a 1-4-3-3, the team varies in 1-4-2-3-1 with Elimane Cissé or Moussa Ndiaye as organizer or midfield closest to the attack. Camara’s incursion into the 2nd makes it a surprise effect on the offensive animation and the finishes.Th line. A form of collective attack that is distinctive even in the face of set plays. “Explained the Stade de Mbour coach.
“Wingers who are a hit”
Result? The Hometown Lions impress with their attacking displays and the number of opportunities they create. It is still possible to improve the final. It’s a dynamic team that creates many chances and controls matches. It is technically a superior team to its rivals. In the speed of execution, it took over against Côte d’Ivoire, Uganda and against the DRC. This shows that the Pape Thiaw system is perfectly suited. The team is stable, players are complementary, and attacks succeed. We can do more harm if we improve penalties, the ratio of goals scored to chances, and even the final. “, hopes coach Badara Sarr.
He also added: He has wingers that are a big hit in attack and who are speeding up. We can only blame this team for its inefficiency offensively. She scored 4 goals, but she could have scored 10 in those three matches. I am optimistic because a striker such as Cheikh Diouf, who is a master of his movements and his back to goal, has yet to score the goal. Remember that Senegal missed two penalties during the 1er round. They can make sparks if this area continues to grow. “, he recalled.
📹 KEY MOMENT: 🇸🇳 3-0 🇨🇩
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Bold management
This offensive fluidity comes from the Senegal coach’s bold choices. The Senegal coach made strong choices and did not hesitate in displacing certain executives to help him implement his ideas. I won’t talk about making strong decisions. Just that he based himself on both tactical and technical certainties and whatever one may say, so far he seems to be right (…) The contribution of the lane men could be more beneficial if our side left is improving technically. This balance I’m referring to is possible because of two mature and serene central-axes who know how to adjust the outings in either combined play or semi-long moves towards the lanemen. “, deciphered Cheikh Guèye.
On the side of Badara Sarr, we are surprised by these “unexpected” choices which prove Pape Thiaw right. ” These are excellent choices. Even the Cheikh Ibra Diouf option in place of Raymond Diémé Ndour is to be put in this lot. Everyone was stunned by Pape Thyaw’s prediction of Alioune Badara Faty as goalkeeper. Mamadou Sy made a tremendous impression on us and he placed Mamadou Sy on our team. He chooses to bench the captain of this team for years (Moutarou Baldé) for Sané at right-back. We were all equally amazed. It shows that the coach is very confident in his abilities. “, he acknowledged.
“That is the mark of a tactician”
It is an apprenticeship that is specifically designed for theformer Senegalese international striker. After a bloodletting in the offseason, it is important to find credible alternatives. We are seduced and enthralled by the team that Pape Thiaw has put together, says Coach Badara Sarr. We can see that some players receive in-depth training. It’s difficult to maintain such stability after losing Bouly Jr. Sambou, Ngagne Falls (co-top scorers last season in Ligue 1 editor’s note), Abdou Sidi… We see players who have not had the time to adapt, but are doing well “, he rejoiced.
As a good tactician, rely on a backbone of “Garnets”
Pape Thiaw, who was taunted during the qualifications and the preparation to lack of identity in the team’s offerings, takes advantage of this CHAN opportunity to showcase his talents of a tactician. Difficult to judge a fellow coach from the outside, supports Coach Cheikh Guèye. But I know that he is simple and has clear ideas. This makes it easier to grasp tactically. The associative game he wanted was followed by the players. Strategically, both offensive and defensive set plays are clearly defined and assimilated. He prefers to play with two interiors namely Cissé and Camara or Moussa Ndiaye-Cissé depending on the match. Pape Thiaw chooses his players based on their characteristics, and this is a sign of a tactician “Judges the Stade de Mbour coach.
Pape Thiaw and his staff including Djiby Fall, coach of Génération Foot, had the good idea to rely on a hard core of 6 Garnets including 5 holders. ” Badara Sarr admits that this framework is a blessing for coaches. If we look closely it is Diambars, Generation Foot, Guédiawaye FC. These are teams that excel in training, detection, and competition. Relying on a backbone of Génération Foot players has earned us those results somewhere. We count on all the clubs, but it would be a shame to lose the backbone that makes a club work well. We’ve seen so many players leave during the off-season. This shortcut makes it possible for players to be competitive, to have complementarity, and automatisms. Génération Foot is an important lever on which the technical staff relied “, he conceded.
As in 2009
The first edition of CHANJoseph Koto, at the time the Senegalese coach, had used the same recipe to bring Senegal to the final. I remember in 2009 during our first participation, we had 6 players from AS Douanes, remembers Badara Sarr, assistant coach during the tournament in Côte d’Ivoire. This saved us time. This created a sense of cohesion and solidarity among the players. These players were selected by the coach, who had also done some of the work. This is a great find by Pape Thiaw. This is what we also see with certain North African selections. Even Côte d’Ivoire which returns well in the competition, it presents 11 players from ASEC. This is why he has returned to the tournament. “, he concluded.
Moustapha M. SADIO
Source: sportnewsafrica