Senegal coach Souleymane Diallo says it is important not to be overwhelmed by the pressure of being champions The tactician talks about his team’s meticulous and structured preparation a few weeks before the start of the competition He also talks about the strategic importance of the CHAN for the development of domestic football
Successor to Pape Thiaw, the man who led Senegal to the title of African champion at the TotalEnergies CHAN 2022 in Algeria, Souleymane Diallo now bears the responsibility of defending the continental crown.
A few weeks before the kick-off of the 2024 TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) to be played in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania from 1-28 February, he shares his state of mind, his team’s preparations and the challenges of this new edition.
With a wealth of experience on the continental stage, Diallo is aware of the expectations placed on him and his squad, which is largely made up of new faces.
In this exclusive interview, he talks about the pressure of being the title holder and the strategic importance of the CHAN for domestic football. The challenge is immense, but Diallo approaches this competition with serenity and a plan, ready to write a new chapter in the history of Senegalese football.
CAFOnline: What is your state of mind a few weeks before the start of the 2024 TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship?
Souleymane Diallo: I have a very good state of mind overall. I think the boys are aware of what is at stake in this competition, but we must not put ourselves under pressure. For me, the most important thing is the first game. We will have to approach it with a very good state of mind, a very good mentality, but above all an African mentality which consists of being serene first and identifying the obstacles we need to tackle.
How are your preparations going?
Overall, very good. The program plan that we have drawn up is proceeding normally. Now, we are in our 14th week, more precisely, including the preparation phases for the qualifiers. From Monday (13 January), we will take the boys in closed groups. We will stay there until the start of the competition. We will have a training camp in a country bordering the three host countries (Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania).
Senegal is the title holder. Does this add extra pressure?
No, no pressure! I am used to saying that. Pressure is important in all things. Most importantly, the source of the pressure must first be identified. If you identify the source of the pressure and you identify the nature of the pressure, for me, right now, there’s no more pressure, but there’s situational awareness. It’s true that Senegal is African champion, but don’t forget that the African champion squad is not the same squad as we have at the moment. We only have two survivors (Serigné Koita and Aboudoulaye Dieng). So, we will have to analyse strongly. Does Senegal come with its African champions or does Senegal come with the title of African champion? We have to point out the nuanced difference between these two. But what is most important, we will come to approach this competition in the best possible way, while not hiding our coat as African champions. On the contrary, this awareness of our African champion mantle pushes us to have a much more cautious approach, a much more serene approach.
Why is the CHAN an important competition in your eyes?
The CHAN is a very important competition. I usually tell journalists that. Already, the CHAN reflects the level of competition of the nation itself. Today, the characteristic of the CHAN is that it takes into account players playing in their local championship. Today, I tell my colleagues that we represent the championship itself, the Senegalese championship, because the CHAN will reflect the level of the Senegalese league. That’s why, for me, it’s a special competition, a very important competition.
You were the coach of the Senegalese team at the African Games. How has this pan-African, continental experience been useful to you and will it serve you well for the CHAN?
I think that today, I have a little African experience. This pan-African experience will serve as a support for us to be able to approach this competition. I have had the opportunity to do several African and world competitions. Three Junior World Cups, three Junior African Cups, two African Games. I think we will base ourselves on these experiences, on these African competitions, to be able to approach this competition in the most serene way possible.
Apart from Senegal, which teams can lift the trophy?
Today, it will be very, very difficult to say about the teams. You will of course agree with me that in Africa, all the teams are improving. The teams are very, very, very rigorous, both in terms of the training approach, but also in terms of management, because sporting performance is made up of two essential parameters. There are external factors and internal factors. In Africa, people are starting to work, to take these two factors into account. Previously, we were limited to the internal factors of performance. Today, most African teams work on their environment. So it will be very difficult, bordering on suicidal, to want to predict the potential winners.
The TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship 2024 (CHAN) Plane is almost ready to take off. ✈️👀 pic.twitter.com/w7DwqMelUA– CAF_Online (@CAF_Online) December 31, 2024
