DOHA, Qatar — There was a time not so long ago that an African side losing their best player on the eve of a World Cup would have spelt disaster, but Senegal have already shown they are much more than just Sadio Mane.
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The world’s second best player isn’t in Qatar after suffering a hamstring injury while playing for club side Bayern Munich just days before the tournament began yet, in his absence, coach Aliou Cisse’s side have come through Group A to set up a round-of-16 tie with England at Al Bayt Stadium on Sunday.
Even after Mane was ruled out, there was a quiet confidence in the west African county of 17 million people that they could get out of a group containing Netherlands, Ecuador and hosts Qatar. Now they have, there’s a feeling that in the knockout rounds anything could happen.
Senegal are one of just three African nations to reach the quarterfinals of a World Cup after their run to the last eight in Japan and South Korea in 2002.
It’s possible that France could lie in wait in the quarters, but there remains a belief, at least at home, that this Senegal team, winners of their first Africa Cup of Nations in February, could be the first African team to reach a World Cup semifinal.
Much of the confidence is down to players like Kalidou Koulibaly, scorer of the crucial second goal in the final group game against Ecuador to seal qualification.
If Mane is the star, Koulibaly is the cement — particularly during qualifying when Senegal conceded just five goals in eight games.
