Senegal desires Morocco showdown not to mark Manes farewell from AFCON
Senegal manager Pape Thiaw stated on Saturday that he wishes the Africa Cup of Nations showdown with Morocco would not serve as Sadio Manes final appearance in the competition, emphasising that the ex Liverpool forward cannot simply depart from the squad.
His choice is beyond his sole control. An entire nation supports him and they wish for his continued involvement Thiaw remarked to journalists in Rabat just before the clash with the hosts.
Mane aged 33 announced following Wednesdays semi final victory over Egypt where he netted the decisive goal that he would skip future editions of the Cup of Nations.
Those remarks suggest a potential full retirement from international duty after the North American World Cup in June and July when he turns 34.
The subsequent Cup of Nations is scheduled for 2027 across Kenya Tanzania and Uganda.
I believe he spoke impulsively in the moments excitement and neither the nation nor I as national team coach endorse that view Thiaw added.
We aim to retain him for the longest possible time.
The ex Liverpool standout guided Senegal to their inaugural Cup of Nations triumph in 2022 by converting the decisive penalty in the shootout finale versus Egypt.
This twice crowned African footballer of the year also featured in the 2019 runners up squad defeated by Algeria Sundays encounter marks Senegals third final appearance in the last four tournaments.
Sadio stands out as a remarkable talent deserving of a Ballon dOr yet above all he remains an extraordinary individual defender Moussa Niakhate commented.
He lacks arrogance focuses on diligent effort and cherishes his homeland his participation in a sixth AFCON highlights his enduring reliability.
Security issues
Separately the Senegal manager voiced frustration over the reception his squad encountered upon reaching the Moroccan capital on Friday.
The Lions of Teranga journeyed to Rabat after basing themselves in the northern port of Tangiers since the tournaments outset.
The Senegalese Football Federation issued a late Friday declaration highlighting grave issues such as insufficient security during the teams entry which endangered players and personnel.
It further criticised the assigned accommodation the allocation of tickets for fans to the final and the provision of a training venue at the Moroccan squads facility.
Fridays events were unacceptable Thiaw affirmed.
With such crowds present incidents could easily occur endangering my players.
Such occurrences should never arise between allied nations.
This final pits Africas two leading sides per FIFA rankings with Morocco seeking to capitalise on home support for their first title in five decades.
Yet immense expectations weigh on the 2022 World Cup semi finalists to secure the prize.
We envisioned reaching this stage and now we have but the ultimate challenge lies ahead Morocco manager Walid Regragui noted.
Senegal forms a formidable unit reaching three finals in four attempts yet this matchup elevates African football by featuring the continents elite.
He continued Managing the atmospheres intensity proves crucial. We must avoid excessive self imposed pressure.
The outcome hangs evenly at 50/50 though the home crowd might tip it slightly to 51 percent our way.