The Lions of Teranga from Senegal won’t go further than the round of sixteen in the 2023 AFCON. Against Ivory Coast this Monday, Kalidou Koulibaly and his teammates were eliminated by the Elephants who advance to the quarterfinals after a victory in a penalty shootout. After the defeat, the Senegalese captain delivered a surprising analysis.
We haven’t seen the end of surprises during this 34th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations. After the eliminations of major teams like Algeria, Ghana, Tunisia, and Cameroon, Senegal joined the list this Monday. After a brilliant qualification for the 2023 AFCON and a smoothly sailed group stage (3 victories in 3 matches), Aliou Cissé’s men faced a completely revamped Ivory Coast team in the round of sixteen. Despite being the clear favorites on paper given the circumstances, Kalidou Koulibaly and his teammates failed to secure a victory.
The elimination of the defending champion
Quickly leading on the scoreboard after Habib Diallo’s goal in the 4th minute, Senegal let the ball slip to the Ivorians, who didn’t ask for more. After game incidents that the Gabonese referee, Pierre Ghislain Atcho, failed to manage properly, Ivory Coast equalized. While a surge of pride was expected from the Senegalese side, it was the team of Emerse Fae that continued to show danger with a lot of determination. Ultimately, the fate of the match was decided in a penalty shootout, and the organizers of the 2023 AFCON qualified for the quarterfinals.
At the final whistle, disappointment was profound among the Lions of Teranga, who were considered one of the finest teams in the competition. Touted as the top favorite to once again win the competition they claimed in 2022, Senegal bowed unexpectedly.
Koulibaly’s lunar justifications
In front of journalists while leaving the field, Kalidou Koulibaly, the captain of the Senegalese national team, opened up about this bitter defeat. According to the player from Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia, his team played a good match. While no one saw Senegal being eliminated so early from the 2023 AFCON, Koulibaly sees it differently, claiming that his team was seen as the loser during the group stages.
“We lost, but we can hold our heads high; we showed good things, we showed a beautiful face of Senegal. Everyone saw us being eliminated in the group stage, it’s a shame that we’re out today (editor’s note: Monday against Ivory Coast), but that’s football,” first stated the former Napoli player, who seems to be the only one believing that Senegal was considered a loser in the group C, alongside Guinea, Cameroon, and Gambia.
“The crowd pulled them out of the water”
Further in his post-match analysis, the central defender, who performed well during Senegal’s matches in the 2023 AFCON, revealed the major asset of the Ivorians in this match: the crowd. “The difference in the match? I don’t think of much, maybe the crowd made the difference at some point because they were in trouble, and the crowd pulled them out of the water, so I think that’s what made the difference…,” said Koulibaly before elaborating.
“Ivory Coast was set up to win the AFCON; we weren’t surprised to see them at this level, but it’s true that they started the competition poorly. But when it starts badly, there’s a surge of energy, and I think with the crowd behind them, it did them good. It’s a shame to concede two goals and exit this competition.“
For many, Kalidou Koulibaly’s comments are just an attempt to deflect from the poor management of Senegal against Ivory Coast. According to them, at no point were the defending champions seen as eliminated in the group stage or before the semi-finals.
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