SENEGAL’S last – and only - World Cup appearance resulted in a surprise run to the quarter-finals, but they are going to have to upset the odds if they are to get this year’s tournament off to a winning start.
In 2002, the Senegalese stormed through the tournament, defeating defending champions France in the opening game before overcoming a Henrik Larsson-led Sweden in extra time in the last 16 to make it to the quarter-finals.
A defeat to Turkey shattered their dreams of making it any further but perhaps even more disappointing has been their absence from the tournament ever since.
Poland have experienced a similar sabbatical from the world’s greatest football tournament, qualifying for back-to-back finals in 2002 and 2006 before enduring twelve long years of World Cup drought.
But in a tournament that has not had a wealth of thrillers so far, this first-ever meeting of Poland and Senegal this afternoon in the Spartak Stadium in Moscow has all the signs that it could be a cracker.
With Colombia tipped by many to top Group H and Japan fancied to finish dead last, this game could go a long way to deciding who advances to the knock-out stages. And with both teams likely to be unsatisfied settling for a draw, some attacking football could be on the cards.
Poland are the top seeds having stormed through their qualifying campaign, with Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski heading the charge, scoring 16 goals in their qualifying matches and setting a new European goal-scoring record in the process.
However, the Poles are missing their key centre-back, Kamil Glik, who will miss today’s game and almost certainly their second group match against Colombia on Sunday. The Monaco defender attempted a bicycle-kick in training on the final day that the squads could be named and landed awkwardly, injuring his shoulder.
However, Poland’s manager Adam Nawlaka, showed how important a member of his squad Glik is by refusing to replace him, instead gambling that the 29-year-old will recover in time to play his part at some point in the tournament.
And all eyes will be on Lewandowski this afternoon though, with the striker confident that he is in the form of his life.
“I do think my last season was quite different from the one before the 2016 European Championship finals,” he said.
“I played less games (in 2017-18), which means I’m less tired and I hope this freshness will show during the World Cup. Furthermore, this time the preparations have been personalised, catered to what an individual player needs.”
The Pole is likely to be closely marked though, with the talisman in particularly good form in recent months having scored 41 goals for Bayern Munich last season.
He remains unfazed by the prospect of being a marked man though, and is adamant that helping his team to a win is far more important than him getting his name on the score sheet.
“I am not sure how many good opportunities I will have. But when I am doubled up on and fouled, it frees up space for my team-mates and we’d like to take advantage of this. If another player scores for us, that’s great. It doesn’t have to be me.”
And Senegal had no trouble in finding the back of the net when qualifying for this tournament either, with 17 goals suggesting that they will not be scared to take the match to Poland.
Manager Aliou Cisse was the captain of Senegal’s 2002 World Cup team, so has a wealth of experience on which to draw but it is likely that Senegal’s star man, Liverpool winger Sadio Mane, will need to be at his best of they are to get a result. Cisse though, has no doubts that the 26-year-old will rise to this challenge.
“Sadio is a unique player and he can’t be compared to any other Senegal players, even if we’ve had some major ones in the past,” said Cisse.
“He’s unique and he’s a player who can bring a lot to the team.”
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