El Hadji Diouf

Senegal Federation boss Augustin Senghor hits back at El-Hadji Diouf attacking coach Aliou Cisse

Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) president Augustin Senghor has hit back at El-Hadji Diouf for his continuous attacks on Teranga Lions coach Aliou Cisse.

Diouf has appeared on Senegalese television as well as quoted by various local publications in the past two months calling for the sacking of his former teammate Cisse.

This comes after Cisse failed to lead Senegal to the knockout rounds at the Fifa World Cup in June, before having his contract extended by a year last month.

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Diouf’s criticism, which is usually laden with vitriol, has sucked in Senghor who has come to the defence of the coach, suggesting that Diouf is bitter for not being part of the Cisse's technical team.

“It is not possible to spend all his (Diouf) time criticising the coach and hoping that he (Cisse) opens his doors,” Senghor told Senego.

“A national team has its way of operating. There are rules that are set up in all teams. This team has never been closed to anyone. I remember that a year or more ago, the coach himself had invited El-Hadji Diouf to training sessions in which he participated.

“Afterwards, the truth is that you cannot spend all the time shooting at the coach and wish that he receives you in his dressing room.”

As Cisse continues with his Teranga Lions job, he is also sweating to keep his former teammate and now assistant coach Omar Daf who doubles up as head coach of French League 2 side Sochaux's reserve team.

The FSF is said to be keen on Daf committing to Senegal on a full-time basis or that he concentrates on his club.

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