adminPARIS. — Defender Abdou Diallo says Senegal are aiming to do better than any other African nation by reaching the World Cup football semi-finals in Qatar.
No side from the continent has made it past the quarter-finals, with Cameroon (1990), Senegal (2002) and most recently Ghana (2010) knocked out in the last eight — all after extra time or penalties.
Diallo says the African champions, who exited the 2018 tournament in the group stage, want to “break a glass ceiling” when they embark on their third World Cup finals.
“Even though we can’t see the future, you have to be convinced that you definitely can achieve it,” the 26-year-old Paris St-Germain centre-back told BBC Sport Africa.
“We also had a glass ceiling in the Nations Cup final and we broke it, so my dream is to break another one. If we manage to do that, I will be the happiest.
“There are no complexes. If we don’t make it, we don’t make it, but you have to accept that pressure because it means that we are doing a good job.”
Senegal begin their Group A campaign against three-time runners-up the Netherlands on 21 November before they play hosts Qatar on 25 November and finally Ecuador four days later.
Two decades ago, Senegal stunned defending champions France with an unexpected 1-0 win on their World Cup debut.
The West Africans then drew with Denmark and Uruguay and beat Sweden 2-1 to reach the quarter-finals, before being eliminated 1-0 by Turkey after a golden goal in the fourth minute of extra-time. — BBC Sport Africa
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