National team: the executives have not said their last word

Senegal won (1-0) this Sunday at the Vélodrome against the Comoros, in a friendly match which served as a laboratory for Patrick Vieira. If the coach wanted to see new faces at work, the old ones sent an unambiguous message. Gana Gueye and Kalidou Koulibaly, solid and influential, recalled that they did not intend to watch the new generation take charge from the bench. The executives are still there, and they intend to make it known.

If the young people are pushing behind, the executives obviously have no intention of rolling out the red carpet for them. Against the Comoros, some even took advantage of this international window to point out that they still had solid arguments to put forward.

Gana Gueye still above the fray

At 37 years old, Idrissa Gana Gueye clearly does not intend to pass the baton so easily. Starting against the Comoros, the Al Diriyah midfielder once again displayed this activity and this mastery which have long made him a must for the Lions. His performance contrasts with that of certain younger competitors. Lamine Camara, in particular, did not completely convince during this international window. After having long been presented as one of the future bosses of the Senegalese environment, the Monegasque has seen his influence diminish over the course of his meetings. Enough to relaunch a hierarchy that we thought was destined to evolve quickly. For now, Gana remains well placed. His experience, his volume of play and his ability to set pace continue to weigh in the coach’s choices. Patrick Vieira wanted to see if the elders still had their say. Gana Gueye has just given him a fairly clear answer.

Koulibaly puts the pressure back on

Same observation behind. Against the Comoros, Kalidou Koulibaly (35) found the armband of defense boss and above all a place in a sector where competition has become considerably younger. Associated with Mamadou Sarr in the center, the historic captain delivered a sufficiently solid performance to remind us that he was not prepared to give up his place without resistance. The situation is all the more interesting as the competition now seems to be becoming clearer. Sadibou Sané appears as a serious option in the hierarchy, while Koulibaly returns to the discussion to accompany or compete with the Villarreal defender. In this configuration, Mamadou Sarr could be the main loser in this redistribution of cards. Senegal now has several profiles for the right central defender position, and the battle could be between Sadibou Sané and Kalidou Koulibaly for the starting role, with Mamadou Sarr in ambush.

The message sent by Koulibaly is ultimately the same as that of Gana Gueye. The generational renewal desired by Vieira does not yet mean the end of the reign of the elders. The executives are still standing, still competitive and above all still candidates for a place in the eleven.

By Yaya SOW