African Comment: Senegal Back From The Brink?

Senegal has been on the decline for some years now in world football. The sweet memories of their exploits at the 2002 World Cup have been swept away by the winds of time, plunging sports officials into the labour of reviving a team whose lieutenants had dispersed to a world without an easy trace.

But the Lions of Teranga's 4-2 trouncing of DR Congo in an away fixture with a hat-trick from the team’s captain Mamadou Niang, opened many peoples eyes once again to Senegal.

There have already been murmurs of approval, suggesting a renascent team that could bring back old glories or create new ones. From Dakar to Touba and Thies, warm smiles are lighting up the faces of fans, who though remain careful to espouse a selection whose journey to the finals of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations remains long and chancy, considering the presence of the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon in Group E.

However, Senegal coach Amara Traore says his men have braced themselves up against any hurdles coming their way as they focus on the AFCON finals, which they last qualified for in 2008.

The three strong contenders of Group E – Senegal, Cameroon and DR Congo, have suffered some setbacks in their set-up lately, and efforts have been intensified on each side to make a rally and sing new songs of victories, perhaps across the 2012 AFCON qualifying matches to the finals.  

Senegal and Cameroon have proved they’ve got a new life, but Senegal’s situation is more fascinating being a team almost forgotten by the rest of the continent or even by its fans, who had begun befriending other national teams.

A local coach, scantily and haphazardly remunerated by his bosses, pulling together a squad – incalculably mixed with unknown local talents – coming down to thrash an expatriate-led, two-time African champions DR Congo in their stronghold of Lubumbashi, is commendable.

Traore says he has injected a new spirit of rage and patriotism in his team and hopes to keep the fire burning along the way. But the true test of their new form would come during their home and away showdowns with Cameroon, to decide who will progress from Group E to Gabon/Equatorial Guinea come 2012. For now, we salute Senegal for the encouraging outcome against The Leopards, and we hope this is the comeback Medina fans have been gasping for.

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