Senegal head coach Souleymane Diallo has unbothered by the pressure of defending their 2022 CHAN title, insisting his focus remains on their high-stakes Group D opener against Nigeria, www.aclsports.com reports.
In what promises to be one of the tournament’s biggest matches, defending champions Senegal will face fellow West-African giants Nigeria at the Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar on Tuesday.
The Teranga Lions are entering the competition on the back of consecutive losses in their pre-CHAN fixtures, while Eric Chelle’s Nigeria are making a return to the competition for the first time since 2018.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference on Monday evening, Diallo maintains that his team feels no pressure in defending the title. Rather, he sees it as a motivating responsibility that brings a fresh sense of purpose.
“Thanks for reminding me of our success in Algeria,” Diallo said when asked about the weight of expectation.
“The players are cautious of their mission and our performance last time out only serves as a source of motivation for us. Entering this competition as defending champions doesn’t add any pressure on us as many may think. We won the previous trophy and it’s in our cabinet. We rather feel we have been given a responsibility and we are ready to face the realities of our status.”
READ MORE: Senegal v Nigeria Match Preview
The coach emphasized that his team is heading into the tournament with humility and a deep respect for every opponent.
“We are not here to defend the trophy in our keeping, we came to try to win another trophy, but for that we have to set the first objective which is qualifying from the group. These days, African football doesn’t provide for teams to be classed as favourites. That is why we respect all the teams in our group. Sudan, Congo or Nigeria all have players that have earned the right to be in this competition. They are all good and respected by us.”
Senegal have kept 10 clean sheets in their previous 14 CHAN matches, while Nigeria have scored in 11 of their past 15 CHAN matches – a case of defence meets attack at the 15-000 capacity Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar.
The West African giants will be eager to put their stamp on Group D, which also has Congo and Sudan early on and stake their claim for a knockout spot. Tuesday’s clash will get underway at 6pm (Nigerian time).
