Senegal Under-20 manager Malick Daf has declared his team are focused on winning the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations as they prepare to take on Tunisia in the semi-finals on Monday afternoon.
The Young Teranga Lions have been one of the standout teams in Egypt, topping Group A with a 100% record before seeing off Benin 1-0 in the quarter-finals.
Senegal’s fine form where they are the only side alongside neighbours the Gambia, not to concede in the tournament, has given Daf and his players the needed confidence to get the job done in Ismailia.
“We are not finished yet because we’re playing against Tunisia for a place in the final,” Daf said on the CAF website.
“We want to win and our aim is to improve the team and if we want to realise our objective we must win.
“The players are ready to perform and we’re motivated for the match.
“Our first objective was to qualify for the World Cup and the second is to win the trophy.
“Tunisia are a good team and we played them two times. We’re very concentrated and focused.
“I’m very motivated to win but we will respect our opponents as any other team. We will work towards our objective of winning a trophy.”
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2022 #TotalEnergiesCHAN: ????Will the 2023 #TotalEnergiesAFCONU20 be the latest title in Senegal’s trophy cabinet? ???? @fsfofficielle pic.twitter.com/rJr8rbnwb9
— #TotalEnergiesAFCONU20 (@CAF_Online) March 5, 2023
Tunisia and Senegal had previously played in a warm-up friendly before the tournament kicked off with the West Africans winning 2-1. Regardless, the Carthage Eagles boss Adel Sellimi believes his team has what it takes to upset the three-time U-20 AFCON runners-up.
“The quarter-final match gave us a lot of confidence and it motivated the team to face Senegal,” Sellimi explained.
“The performance of the team against Congo showed the level we can play so it serves as a motivation for us.
“We want to win the match and head to the final and we’re confident that we can win.
“The semi-final will be a very difficult and a strong match because it’s against Senegal.
“Senegal had an extra day to rest but we will be at the same level and our team will be ready for the match.
“We played against Senegal in a friendly match in Tunis before the tournament and of course, it will help you to know the opponent but this is a different game altogether.”
Senegal will potentially battle it out with either Nigeria or Gambia in the final, with both sides facing each other at the Cairo International Stadium later on Monday evening.
