Senegal’s 2-1 victory over Ecuador on Tuesday secured their place in the World Cup’s last-16, and Aliou Cisse paid tribute to the absent Sadio Mane.
With goals from Ismaila Sarr and Kalidou Koulibaly, the Lions of Teranga moved ahead of their opponents and into second place in Group A for the first time since 2002.
As a result of the victory, Senegal ended a 21-game losing streak and became the first African country to defeat a South American team at a World Cup since Cameroon defeated Colombia in 1990.
Mane, the star player for Senegal, missed Qatar 2022 due to a leg injury sustained while playing for Bayern Munich in the run-up to the competition, but Cisse immediately thought of Mane after his team’s impressive victory.
“I would like to dedicate this victory to a man who is doing extraordinary things for the country, who is unfortunately not here today. This man is called Sadio Mane,” he said.
On Sunday, Senegal will take on the group B winner, and Cisse promises that his team will be ready for any challenge.
“We don’t know who we’re going to come up against in the round of 16 – it could be England, it could be Wales, Iran, USA, anyone,” Cisse added.
“Then that will be a new stage for us. We know that we are moving to the knockout stage, which is completely different from what we are used to playing in these types of [group] matches.
“Everyone is a good team, the best teams in the world that are competing. Therefore, we need to be prepared to come up against any side.
“It is now a win or lose situation, there are no second chances – if you win, you go through, if you lose, you go home.
“So for the moment, we are just going to concentrate on resting and getting fit for the next game, it is simple as that.”
Gustavo Alfaro, the head coach of Ecuador, bemoaned the narrow margins that prevented his team from advancing to the round of 16, and he said he needs more time to make that decision.
“The margin of error was meagre and small details made the difference,” he said after seeing Moises Caicedo’s second-half equaliser followed by Koulibaly’s winner just moments later.
“We made key mistakes in the game. The pain of this defeat does not need to overshadow the achievements of this side, and we hope the experience serves them well in the future.”
Asked about his own position, the Argentine added: “I need time to know what I am going to do with my professional career.”
