Aliou Cisse has got a date with destiny. Led by love for the country he represented as a player and coach, Cisse made it to the knockout round with his Lions of Teranga.The charismatic hero has become only the second African coach to progress from the group stage and reach the last 16 with the all-important victory over Ecuador on Tuesday night. Even though Sadio Mane’s injury crippled Senegal just before the World Cup, the coach, his staff and the players have found a way. Cisse has thus become the first African coach to reach the knockout stage at a World Cup since Stephen Keshi sensationally did it nearly three decades ago with Nigeria.Senegal have qualified for the World Cup knockout stage for the second time in their history:◉ 2002 – Aliou Cisse captain◉ 2022 – Aliou Cisse managerThe pride of the Lions of Teranga. 🇸🇳 pic.twitter.com/0w37FlAkud— Squawka (@Squawka) November 29, 2022 To the Ziguinchor-born former defender, the AFCON triumph earlier this year and this fantastic qualification in the World Cup will heal the old wound, the penalty shoot-out miss in the AFCON final against Cameroon 20 years ago. He didn’t wait long for the first chance to make amends. Later in 2002, Senegal made the world take notice when they sensationally beat the reigning world champions France in the opening game and qualification for the knockout stage was just what the doctor ordered for the then-26-year-old. But despite the sporting success, there was a personal and national tragedy looming.Eleven Aliou’s relatives died when the Le Joola ferry tipped over on 26 September 2002, taking 1,863 people to their death. That particular wound will never heal.But football was always there. Cisse ended his playing career in 2009 after spells with Birmingham City and Portsmouth in England and PSG, Sedan, LOSC Lille and Montpellier in France) and would soon search his way into the coaching world. After making 38 appearances for the national team, he joined Karim Sega Diouf’s staff in 2012 as an assistant. Three years later, he was the number one, the national coach rocking dreadlocks, sunglasses and colourful beads on his skin. Finally, someone the nation would get behind.##EDITORS_CHOICE##But he was not just a loveable figure in an important role – he was determined to get the job done properly. He pulled off a coup by convincing Kalidou Koulibaly to play for Senegal rather than France, the country he was born. The strong defender made his debut for the Teranga Lions in 2015 despite having played for France Under-20s earlier. Fast forward seven years – and the Chelsea defender scored the crucial goal against Ecuador to take Senegal into the second round.The tournament in Russia in 2018 gave a good display from Senegal but also an astonishing lack of good fortune. The African team failed to qualify for the knockout stage just because they had more yellow cards than Japan.##NAJAVA_MECA_6857499##The following year, they lost to Egypt on penalties in the AFCON final. Questions were hanging over Cisse and the chronic lack of good luck. Was he the man to take the national team forward? The Senegalese football association put their trust in the big Bob Marley fan. Speaking to Canal+ around that time, Cisse said he loved listening to the iconic Jamaican musician.”I’ve been listening to Bob Marley’s music since I was a child. He inspires me when I train.”The players have taken to the story as well. After the Teranga Lions banished ghosts of the past by overcoming Egypt in the 2022 AFCON final, Sadio Mane posted a picture of Cisse on Instagram with the words “Our Bob Marley, our coach”.What it means! This is what the Senegalese have been waiting forIn the days leading up to the tournament in Qatar, the AFCON champion was jokingly likened to the American rapper Snoop Dog as well as Marley, but Cisse didn’t care about that. He set his targets and boldly said that African nations do have what it takes to claim football’s biggest prize.”This event represents the dream of an entire continent. There is a great desire to go as far as possible. We have improved with serenity, even if impatience used to hamper us in the past. Hard work always pays off. So, yes, an African country can win the World Cup, and I hope that it will be Senegal.”The next obstacle on the Lions of Teranga’s road? England.
