A disheartened Aliou Cisse, the Senegal boss, expressed his sorrow over seeing players in tears in the locker room after their unexpected penalty shootout defeat by Cote d’Ivoire in the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations last 16.
Senegal, the reigning champions, were eliminated 5-4 on penalties by the tournament hosts after a dramatic 1-1 draw in extra time.
“I am disappointed after this result, especially for our players. We came here to retain the title and play for our people,” Cisse ruefully stated.
The coach emphasized the added pain of losing in such fashion after dominating the match. Senegal led until the 86th minute when Franck Kessie equalized from the penalty spot, and Cisse believed his team failed to manage the game effectively when it mattered most.
“We lost on penalties; we kept our lead until the last 5 minutes. I am disappointed after this defeat, especially after our performance and from the first match,” he lamented.
With Senegal’s trophy defense now concluded, Cisse acknowledged that changes are inevitable as the team looks to rebuild.
“We need to make changes after this defeat; we’ll see what happens in the future. There is sorrow, and our players are sad, as is the Senegalese people,” the coach admitted.
Despite the heartbreak, Cisse took pride in Senegal’s undefeated group stage campaign.
“We prepared well, and let’s not forget we have 3 wins in 3 matches,” he added. After falling short of retaining their title in dramatic fashion, Cisse knows Senegal must regroup and work to bounce back stronger.
