Phone call to the Lions: What Diomaye told Koulibaly and Pape Thiaw before the crucial match

In a few hours, in Kinshasa, the Senegalese Lions will face Congo in a crucial match for qualification for the next football World Cup. President Diomaye Faye, who is currently in Dakar, reached the team by telephone on Tuesday.

After a brief chat with the Federation President, he then spoke with the national coach. To Pape Thiaw, he recalled a match on the pitches of Dakar Sacré-Coeur: "Coach, we played a match together at Dakar Sacré-Coeur. It was a Thursday with the Victor Diagnes. I had played on the tax team. But we saw what a professional was, someone who likes to kick the ball without knowing where it's going," the head of state recalled with a smile.

His interlocutor couldn't help but burst out laughing on the other end of the line. The atmosphere was relaxed, and Professor Diomaye then asked him about the team's state of mind. "Good," replied Pape Thiaw, who added that "the players are determined, they trained throughout the training camp and showed that they want to go for this qualification," the technician assured.

The head of state assured them that they had the support of the entire Senegalese people. "If it were here, we would have made the trip and called for everyone to come and give their all. But in the stadium where you will be playing, consider that it is the 18 million Senegalese people who are shouting to push you to give the best of yourselves," he added.

Then, it was Kalidou Koulibaly's turn to join the call. "Are you ready to roar, captain?" the President of the Republic asked him. "Yes, we are ready. We prepared well for this match. At home, we had to be flawless, and we did it. We're preparing for the match later. We know it's going to be a war, but we want to please you, insha'Allah," assured the Lions' captain.

The head of state will tell the team members that they have already made the Senegalese people proud with their performances for many years now. "Whatever the result, we will be very proud of the investment on the pitch. But I know that you are capable of doing it. We will push as hard as we can and we will pray that God grants us victory, with your efforts," the president will tell the lions.