Senegal’s Dia keen to write history in TotalEnergies U17 final

Senegal’s head coach Saliou Dia says he is keen to see his side achieve history when they take on Morocco in the final of the TotalEnergies U17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Algiers on Friday night.

The game, penciled to kick off at 22h00 local is expected to be explosive, with both teams playing the final for the first time.

Senegal have made it out of the group stages for the first time ever, and have continued their fairytale run to the final. And now, the Taranga Cubs want to take one more massive step towards another piece of history; winning the crown.

“We have enjoyed a good time in Algeria and are thankful for everyone and the Algerian people for making this stay comfortable and memorable. Now, the players and Senegal as a team want to write history,” Dia said, speaking during Thursday afternoon’s pre-match press conference.

The tactician expects a tough but entertaining duel against Morocco, a game he says will need a lot of will and fighting spirit.

“It will be a good match. Morocco is performing well and achieving good results. We will do all we can to win the title and we will come up with a good game plan to ensure we counter their weak points and contain their strong points. This match is special. It is about making history,” the coach said.

He added that his side has to be patient especially in attack and not rush, and they have to remain calm and collected.

“The players have to be motivated right before the match and when we get to the field, we have to see what we can do.”

“Morocco has a strong team with a strong defense and we know what they have achieved so far. We have scored 13 goals in this tournament so that means we have a very good attack line. We will go all out against them,” the coach further noted.

Striker Ibrahima Diallo also bears the same sentiments as his coach and says the players will give their all and leave everything on the pitch to be crowned champions.

“We have trained well and we are psychologically and physically ready. We will try to do everything to win and be crowned champions,” the forward noted.

The Senegalese are looking to create history, having already won the senior AFCON and recently both the U20 AFCON and the Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) which was hosted in Algeria.