When Sadio Mané, Kalidou Koulibaly, Idrissa Gana Gueye and Édouard Mendy reflect on their international careers they will recall a decade in which Senegal achieved more than any previous generation from the country. That era has included continental success and three consecutive World Cup qualifications, but it also risks ending in one of the side’s most disappointing tournaments.
At club level the quartet have broken new ground: Mendy became the first African goalkeeper to win the UEFA Champions League, Gana Gueye played in a losing UCL final, Koulibaly emerged as a superstar at Napoli and Mané has been a UCL winner, Premier League champion and two-time African Footballer of the Year. Internationally, the team qualified for a third straight World Cup and won Senegal’s first Africa Cup of Nations in 2021, then secured the title again earlier this year amid controversy over the final ruling.
Those achievements stand in contrast to results in Qatar, where Senegal lost 1-3 to France and 2-3 to Norway. Defensive problems and conceded goals have left the team needing a substantial win over Iraq in their final group match on Friday and then to hope a victory is enough to advance as one of the best third-placed teams. Senegal currently sit with a minus-3 goal difference, which puts them at a disadvantage compared with other sides on three points.
Koulibaly has been singled out for criticism after a difficult tournament, described in the source as looking sluggish against France and at fault for each of Norway’s three goals. The defender, 35, had not played competitively since April 8 after suffering a thigh injury in training with Al Hilal.
“The coach will decide if I’m playing [against Iraq] or not, but the most important thing is that we try to qualify,” Koulibaly told ESPN. “The face we’ve shown in these two matches has sometimes been good, but at other times, very poor.” The result against Iraq will determine whether this generation can still salvage its World Cup campaign.
