Senegal v Netherlands: African champions out to leave their mark

Aliou Cisse vowed Senegal "will leave a lasting impression" during the World Cup as they look to build on their winning opening-game record in their first match against the Netherlands. The current African champions have taken home two of their opening matches with a shocking 1-0 victory against France in 2002, and the 2-1 victory over Poland in the year 2018.

Senegal made it to the quarter-finals twenty years ago, but were eliminated at the group stage during this year's edition. Cisse hopes for an entirely different result this time around.

The goal is to leave this group. Once we're removed from the group we can be sure that it will be a knockout competition, said the journalist. We'll leave a footprints. The world is already looking ahead to the final 16 and the quarter-finals. We will take it one game at an moment. We're not getting too excited. It's our job to prepare fully and to do it with a sense of prudence. We were eliminated from the previous World Cup after just three matches.

Senegal defeats Egypt in February, winning their very first Africa Cup of Nations title and then beat the same team the following month in an World Cup qualifying play-off. Cisse's team is 19th globally, 10 places lower than the Netherlands and without their star player Sadio Mane who is in Qatar because of an injury,report by online casino malaysia mega888.

Senegal could boast a perfect record for opening games however the Netherlands have not lost in their last eight curtain-raising games, and have won six of them. Oranje have returned to the international stage following their failure to make it into Russia in 2018. Veteran manager Louis van Gaal now in his third season in charge.

Van Gaal, who will retire at the conclusion in the competition, acknowledges his team will need more than just talent in order to reach the finals in Qatar and win the trophy for the very first time. I don't think we have the most talented players in the world on our squad, the coach stated. However, I believe in team building and strategies. I believe that we can get further.

However, we also require luck - which is equally vital. Due to that, and because I believe in the power of imagination that we can be world champion by the end of the competition. Monday's game in Group A on Al Thumama Stadium will mark the first occasion Senegal and the three-time World Cup runners-up Netherlands have played each other.

Oranje have not lost in their four games against African opponents in the finals. Senegal are winners of two times and lost one to European teams in the group stage.