Senegalese envoy opens up on Terenga Lions success story
The Senegalese Ambassador to Nigeria, Nicolas Auguste Nyouky has attributed the tremendous successes of the country in football to the good sports policy put in place by the government.
The Teranga Lions, who are currently defending their Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) title in Ivory Coast, are also the reigning continental champions at Under-17 and Under-20 level, and even won the African Nations Championship (CHAN), the competition for domestic-based players for the first time last year.
Senegal’s hold over the African game also stretches to beach soccer, with the country winning the past four continental titles and as well as finishing fourth at the last Beach Soccer World Cup in Russia in 2021.
Speaking with Voice of Nigeria in Abuja, Mr. Nyouky also said the policy gives room for strong partnership between the government, the country’s football federation (FSF) and individuals who invested so much in sports facilities.
He also ascribed the success story in the game to the abundant talents in the country as well as efforts of their current national coach, Aliou Cisse who is working tirelessly to make sure Senegal remain on top of other football countries.
READ ALSO: Lookman brace fires Nigeria past Cameroon and into AFCON quarters
“It’s true that the country has performed remarkably well in recent years, and I believe that these very positive results are result of a combination of factors. The first factor seems to me to be the personal talent of the players who, by dint of hard work, manage to maintain their best level in order to feature or continue to feature in team. As you know, it’s not easy in sport to stay at the top all the time. It comes at the price of many sacrifices.
“The second factor contributing to these good results seems to me to be, of course, the country’s sports policy, with the authorities supporting sports players such as the above mentioned establishments and the Senegalese Football Federation. Over the last ten years or so, the distressing spectacle of sportsmen and women demanding payment of their bonuses and other accessories has completely disappeared.
“The third reason is the fruit of the work done in the field by the training schools, such as Diambar, Generation foot, Dakar sacre Coeur and many others less well known, which have been able to create an ecosystem that today generates well trained youngsters up the standards of the best in Europe”.
“Last but not the least, I’d like to mention the tremendous work carried out by coach Aliou Cisse, a rigorous and persevering man who has also benefited from this stability to steer the national team towards constant progress.
Aliou Cisse has been at the helm of the Lions of Terenga since March 2015, and has slowly worked his way towards success. He is assisted by his former team-mates in the constant monitoring of Senegalese players who are evolving internationally, especially those with dual nationality, for whom it is particularly important to establish a continuous link with their country of origin. I wouldn’t like to forget the fans (the twelfth gainde, allez casa, ASC lebbou Gui) who are the constant and tireless supporters of the national team, which they always push to excel and achieve feats” Ambassador Nyouky said.
Coach Cisse himself was part of Senegal’s original golden generation, which finished as runners-up at the 2002 Afcon before reaching the quarter-finals of the World Cup later that year on the country’s debut at the finals.
With hundred percent recorded in the group stage, Senegal will on Monday, January 29th play host nation Ivory Coast in the round of sixteen of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Aliou Cisse’s men began their campaign in Group C with a 3-0 win over The Gambia, recorded 3-1 win against Cameroon before defeating Guinea 2-0 as they look to become the first side to register back-to-back Afcon triumphs since Egypt won their third in a row in 2010.