This Thursday, Pape Bouna Thiaw, interim coach of the Senegal national team, revealed the list of players called up for the matches against Burkina Faso and Burundi, as part of the CAN 2025 qualifiers. A list which highlights before a strong trend: the promotion of local players.
This orientation clearly demonstrates Pape Thiaw’s desire to strengthen the team by relying on the talents playing in Senegal. Unlike his predecessor, Aliou Cissé, who largely favored players playing in Europe, the interim coach seems to want to offer a more important place to players from the national championship.
During his previous rally, he had already called on Cheikh Lo Ndoye and Abdou Aziz Ndiaye from Jaraaf in Dakar. This time, Ibrahima Seck, a former U20 international, enters the list, after an impressive start to the season with US Gorée, where he notably scored the first double in the Senegalese Ligue 1 and scored three goals in total. This choice to promote local talent is not trivial. Pape Thiaw, who knows local football well having managed the local national team, seeks to breathe new life into the selection.
By highlighting players like Cheikh Lo Ndoye, Abdou Aziz Ndiaye and Ibrahima Seck, he promotes Senegalese football while renewing the Lions squad. With this approach, the former Niarry Tally player seems to mark a clear break with the previous management of the selection, which had sparked criticism of the marginalization of local talent.
wiwsport.com
Senegal
