Senegal legend El Hadji Diouf with players during a training session in Doha, yesterday. AFP
Doha: Former Liverpool forward and Senegal legend El Hadji Diouf has declared Senegal will be ready to take on any team at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 despite the loss of inspirational star Sadio Mane. The 2002 World Cup star also noted that the Teranga Lions would be a difficult opponent for any team.
Mane, the reigning African Footballer of the Year, suffered an injury while playing for Bayern Munich days before the World Cup. Though he was picked in the final 26-man list, but further medical tests revealed the forward needed surgery, which was reportedly done on Thursday, Bayern announced.
“For football, we love Sadio to be playing at this World Cup, and Sadio was doing everything to get ready for this World Cup. All big players want to shine on the World Cup stage, but the injury happened, and we’re going to do everything to make him proud,” Diouf told reporters at the Senegal base camp yesterday at Al Duhail SC.
“I talk to him every day, and he’s a good brother of mine. Sadio believes in God and this thing (injury) happened because God wanted it. I think he’ll come back stronger.”
The 41-year-old stressed that the African champions will not shy away from competing and will be ready to face any opponent while asserting that some teams will be wary of the West Africans who are in Group A alongside hosts Qatar, Ecuador and The Netherlands.
“Our first objective is to pass the first round, and after that we’re going to talk again together to see what we can do — we have objective by objective. We don’t say we don’t want to play this team or that team, but I know some teams don’t want to play Senegal because we know we have a good team, experienced players and very connected,” Diouf added.
The two-time African Footballer of the year (2001 and 2002), who was part of the famed 2002 Senegalese that stunned defending champions France on their way to a dream quarter-final, said the current side has the capabilities to be successful.
“Senegal, we have the most muscle players in the world after Brazil and we have 26 good players and everyone wants to play and be a part of this World Cup. We like what they say. We have young but experienced players, and they are ready to be part of this team when anyone is out.”
Senegal open their campaign on Monday against The Netherlands, then take on hosts Qatar on November 25 and conclude their group stage run against South Americans Ecuador on November 29.
