From Mali 2002 villain to Cameroun 2021 hero, Aliou Cisse is Senegal’s man of the moment

Twenty years ago, Alou Cisse played himself into the bad books of many Senegalese football fans, when he lost his penalty kick to hand the Indomitable Lions of Cameroun the Africa Cup of Nations title. The match ended 3-2 in favour of the Camerounians in the shootout after a goalless draw in 90 minutes and extra time.    As customary with defeats, Aliou Cisse, who was the team captain at that time, wept openly at Stade du 26 Mars in Bamako, Mali. He ‘had murdered sleep,’ and was restless throughout the night, while the Camerounians celebrated.   That tournament in Mali marked the best ever result in Senegalese football history until they finished as runners-up once again three years ago in Egypt, where the Teranga Lions lost 0-1 to Algeria. However, many Senegalese fans saw Cisse as the man who stopped them from sipping from the golden cup.   From sadness to joy, Cisse was all smiles on Sunday night at the Olembe Stadium in Yaounde, Cameroun, as he ran around the arena, waving to the crowd with his Senegalese flag flying high.

Before the 3-1 victory over Burkina Faso in the semifinal last Wednesday, all eight of the nine goals Senegal scored in the tournament came after the hour.    Against the Stallions, Senegal’s breakthrough came in the 70th minute, a corner dropping in the box for Paris Saint-Germaine centre-back, Abdou Diallo, to hook in. Idrissa Gueye knocked the second in after Sadio Mané had outmuscled Issa Kaboré before cutting the ball back. Mané then got the decisive third with a deft finish on the break.

Perhaps, if the Amaju’ Pinnick-led NFF board was patient with the late coach Stephen Keshi and allowed him to continue with his job after he won the AFCON title in 2013, the current unhealthy state of the Super