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Q & A: Senegal coach Bruno Metsu
Posted: Tuesday April 23, 2002 6:32 PM
What
do you think of the draw?
It's going to be extremely difficult. France are the World Cup favorites,
which is hard enough, but we play them in the opening match, which
adds additional pressure. Denmark are a solid team who always do
well in big competitions. They got to the quarterfinals four years
ago, and as we saw against Nigeria then, they seem to do well against
African teams. As for Uruguay, we know how good someone like Recoba
is. I think it is one of the most difficult -- if not the most difficult
-- of all the groups. We have a young team and we are going to the
World Cup to learn, so it will be both a challenge and an enriching
experience.
Who
are your key players?
El Hadji Diouf has always been able to provide an extra dimension
for us. But now since the Nations Cup, we have shown that we have
got a lot of good players, in pretty much every position.
Who
will be the surprises?
I simply cannot say. It is one of those things that you will only
ever be able to know once the tournament kicks off and everyone
starts playing.
Will
the conditions affect you?
Difficult to say. We might have an advantage, in that African players
are used to playing under a hot sun. Most of our players play in
Europe, so they are used to making long trips and coping with frequent
changes.
Who
will win the World Cup?
France. I am not saying that because I am French, but because they
have the best team, made up of the best players. They are really
exceptional and don't seem to have any weaknesses.
You
play France in that first game and almost all of your squad plays
in France. It's going to be a bit strange, isn't it?
That's modern football for you. Because of the strong links between
France and Senegal, people are saying we are like a French reserve
team. But we have quality players who are good enough to get into
the full French squad. Now, for this opening game, we are going
to have to face not only a great team, but also the world will be
focused on us. How we react to all that is going to be very important.
What
did you learn from the recent Nations Cup?
Only positive things. We didn't lose a game (the Lions lost the
Final on penalties) and all the hard work really paid off. We had
never gone to a tournament under so much pressure; for the first
time everyone expected us to do well -- results were required and
we got them. We learnt a lot.
Do
you think Senegal can be the surprise package this summer?
We need to win a few games. We need to get out of the group. Everyone
is predicting we will finish bottom, but we are convinced we can
prove everyone wrong. I am lucky enough to have a group of players
who work hard and who believe in their talent.
The
Lions are a young and inexperienced team. Will this be a drawback
or can it work to your advantage?
Young players like mine are fresher, more eager, and they give of
themselves more easily. They also play without thinking of the consequences,
without calculation. Now this could be a huge strength, if we are
able to play freely and without fear, or it could turn into a weakness,
if we are too naive. Whatever happens, the World Cup will be a positive
experience for us, but my ambitions -- and those of the players --
stretch much further than that.
From World Soccer magazine.
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