Already qualified and assured of first place, Senegal was keen to finish in style in front of their home crowd. For this last CAN qualifying match, Pape Thiaw made four changes compared to the eleven which had beaten Burkina Faso. Abdou Diallo, Pape Matar Sarr, Habib Diarra and Cherif Ndiaye took the place of Moussa Niakhaté, Pape Guèye, Ismaïla Sarr and Nicolas Jackson. A paid choice. Repositioned as a playmaker, Habib Diarra shone by scoring a sumptuous double thanks to two precise dives. With this fifth consecutive victory, the Lions end the qualifications on a positive note.
Édouard Mendy: 6/10
Man of the match last Friday during the victory against Burkina Faso (1-0), where he made four high-class saves, Édouard Mendy had a relatively quiet evening. Facing a harmless Burundian team, the former Chelsea goalkeeper didn’t have much to do. However, he remained focused and was confident in his aerial outings.
Krepin Diatta: 6/10
As against Burkina Faso, he was the first to launch the Lions’ offensive actions. In good agreement with Iliman Ndiaye and Habib Diarra, he initiated several dangerous actions on the right flank. Less visible in the second half, he still secured his right side, where he was never found wanting. His return obviously did the team good.
Abdou Diallo: 6/10
Alongside Kalidou Koulibaly, Abdou Diallo, who found a starting place, delivered a solid performance. Sober and efficient in the duels, he left the Burundian attackers no chance. Offensively, thanks to his good left-handed technique, he delivered good restarts. Although he has lost his starting place since the arrival of Moussa Niakhaté, he has proven that he remains a valuable element for the team.
Kalidou Koulibaly : 7/10
Serious and focused, the Lions captain produced a clean copy. Unbeatable in aerial and imperial duels on the ground, he was also valuable in restarts. Replaced by Abdoulaye Seck in the 69th minute, who remained solid for the last 20 minutes.
El Hadji Malick Diouf: 6/10
On the left flank, he combined a lot with Sadio Mané. However, like the latter, he was not very inspired offensively, often missing in the last gesture. Defensively, he was intractable, annihilating all opposing offensives.
Idrissa Gana Gueye : 6/10
In his role as sentry, Gana Guèye delivered a decent performance. His experience was valuable in transitions, although he was not particularly successful from set pieces. His mastery of possession was an asset for the Lions.
Pape Matar Sarr: 5/10
Aligned in midfield, Pape Matar Sarr did not deliver his best performance. Despite his good technique and his volume of play, he made many mistakes. Generous defensively, he was however below his standards. Replaced by Ismail Pathé Ciss in the 87th minute.
Habib Diarra : 9/10
Aligned as a playmaker, Habib Diarra demonstrated the full extent of his talent. Already decisive against Burkina Faso, the young Strasbourg player scored a sumptuous double, notably thanks to two superb dives. Replaced by Lamine Camara in the 69th minute.
Indian Education : 6/10
Moved to the right flank for this meeting, Iliman Ndiaye stood out in the first period. Elusive in his shots, he offered an assist to Habib Diarra for the first goal. Replaced by Cheikh Tidiane Sabaly, author of the decisive pass on Habib Diarra’s second goal.
Sadio Mané: 5/10
Uninspired and discreet, number 10 of the Lions did not shine. Despite a few attempts on his left side, he was unable to influence the match, apart from a backheel to launch El Hadji Malick Diouf.
Cherif Ndiaye: 5/10
For his first start, the center forward of Red Star Belgrade was not very successful. However, his pivotal role showed that he could be a good point of support. He attempted a good recovery in the 25th minute, but was unable to exploit his large size to convert the numerous crosses. Replaced by Habib Diallo in the 77th minute.
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