Senegal coach Aliou Cisse said they were not surprised by the performance of Benin in the quarter-final of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations on Wednesday.
Idrissa Gueye’s solitary effort handed the Teranga Lions a hard-fought 1-0 victory over the Squirrels as they secured their place in the semi-final of the tournament for the first time in 13 years.
Prior to the defeat, Benin were unbeaten in their last four games, forcing Ghana, Cameroon and Guinea-Bissau to stalemates before ousting North African giants Morocco in the Round of 16.
“We’re very happy with this victory. It’s true we had the possibility to score. They were a difficult team,” Cisse told Goal.
“Don’t forget, Cameroon didn’t beat them, neither Morocco nor Ghana, so we were waiting for a difficult, complicated game.
“We had chances, they’re a team that gave up nothing. We knew it would be a tight score, maybe 1-0, maybe extra time.
“To play against a team who know exactly what they must do, it’s hard. I must congratulate my players.”
Senegal will play the winner between Madagascar and Tunisia in the semi-final if the tournament at the 30 June Stadium on Sunday.
