Just hours before Tuesday's highly anticipated clash between France and Senegal, Moustapha Seck, assistant coach at Génération Foot, shared his tactical analysis with the specialist newspaper Record. The former coach of the Senegalese national team believes the start of the match will be crucial against a French side driven by a desire for revenge since 2002.

To challenge the French team from the outset and accept suffering

To counter the opponent, the coach is focusing primarily on impact, discipline, and proven mental strength. According to him, the key lies in the Lions' ability to immediately unsettle their opponent: "From the very start of the match, it's crucial to sow doubt in the opponent's mind. If we manage to score first, we'll create doubt in their minds," he advises.

Aware of the quality of the French team, Moustapha Seck also reminds us that we will need to show resilience in weak moments: "There are the strong moments and those of the opponent and that is when we have to accept suffering, to bear the brunt of it, to show resilience and to be very united," while insisting on the absolute necessity of avoiding avoidable mistakes in the last 30 meters.

No anti-Olise plan: priority to the collective

While some Senegalese fans are particularly concerned about the form of French striker Michael Olise, Moustapha Seck rejects the idea of exclusively man-marking him, arguing that it would unbalance the team. For him, the response must be collective: "Focusing on one player and forgetting the others would be very bad. Olise is a good player, but France has other qualities in attack," he warns, suggesting instead that they "cut off the ball at its source" to prevent the midfield from supplying him with passes.

Drawing on the experience of a mature Senegalese squad, which has reached two consecutive AFCON finals (in 2019 and 2021), the assistant coach of Génération Foot is approaching this group stage with pragmatism. While victory remains the ideal objective to kick off the competition, the interviewee with the sports daily emphasizes the importance of managing periods of dominance: "In the end, if we come away with a draw, that would be good. But if we manage a win, it would be an excellent result for the rest of the tournament."