When Senegal qualified for the 2002 World Cup, they were drawn in Group A with Denmark, defending champions France, and Uruguay. No one expected Senegal to do anything in their first World Cup, and were expected to finish bottom of the group. Being in the opening game of the tournament against France, one of the favourites, was seen as a baptism of fire and the French were going to win with ease…weren’t they?
It turned out otherwise! In one of the biggest World Cup shocks ever, the plucky Lions of Teranga beat France 1-0 with midfielder Papa Diop scoring the only goal in the 30th minute. It was almost 2-0 when Khalilou Fadiga rattled the bar after turning Franck Leboeuf inside out.
Senegal would draw their next two group games to qualify for the knockout stages. They beat Sweden 2-1 in the last 16 with an extra-time Golden Goal from Henri Camara, taking them to a quarter final match against Turkey and becoming only the second African time (at the time, Ghana made it to the quarters in 2010) to reach that stage of the tournament.
Sadly, the fairytale would end here as Turkey won the quarter final 1-0 thanks to another Golden Goal, this time by ?lhan Mansiz.
Senegal made friends around the world with their spirited run and a lot of their squad earned massive moves to bigger leagues due to their performances.
Whatever happened to that young squad who got to the quarter-finals on their début appearance? Let’s find out…
1 – Tony Sylva – Goalkeeper – 27 (at time of tournament)
At the time of the tournament, Tony was Monaco’s long-term reserve goalkeeper. He eventually left the club in 2004 after 11 years, only playing 24 league games for the club in that time, although he had loan spells at Gazelec, Epnial and Ajaccio during his time at Monaco.
He moved to Lille and became first choice, playing 163 games over a four year spell before moving to Turkish side Trabzonspor. Tony spent two seasons at the club before retiring in 2010 with 83 international caps to his name.
2 – Omar Daf – Defender – 25
Omar had a solid career before and after the World Cup, spending the majority of his professional career at Sochaux. He made 185 league appearences from 1997-2009 before moving to Brest. Omar moved back to Sochaux at the start of the season but hasn’t made a single appearance and is widely expected to retire at the end of the season.
3 – Pape Sarr – Midfielder – 24
The attacking midfielder was expected to be the focal point of Senegal’s midfield but he only made one appearance at the World Cup against Denmark in the group stages. His career seemed to steadily deteriorate after the World Cup as he slid down the French leagues. He was last seen at fourth division team Olympique Noisy-le-Sec in 2010.
4 – Papa Malick Diop – Defender – 27
Diop was a former captain of Senegal and was once described at the heart and soul of the side, but by the time the World Cup came around he was no longer a first choice player for the team. Despite his very slight fall from grace, he played every game for The Lions of Teranga.
Diop had a fairly nomadic career with his longest spell at a club was only four seasons. Ironically, he only played 22 games for Lorient in that period but his shorter spells at other clubs saw him play a bit more regularly. He retired in 2008 after only playing four games for Metz in two seasons.
5- Alassane N’Dour – Midfielder – 20
One of the youngest members of the squad, he had just completed his first season of professional football with AS Saint-Etienne by the time the World Cup came round. The BBC website’s preview of the defensive midfielder suggested he had a long international career ahead of him, but he never received another cap for Senegal after the World Cup.
Alassane never really lived up to his promise and only played 78 games over a 10 year career that saw unsuccessful spells at ASSE, West Brom, Troyes, Walsall and Greek lower league side Doxa Drama.
6 – Aliou Cisse – Midfielder – 26
Cisse captained the side to the quarter-finals and his performances earned him a move from Montpellier to Premier League side Birmingham City. He got off to a truly outstanding start…by being sent off on his début.
He was impressive in his first season but fell out with manager Steve Bruce during the 03-04 pre-season, eventually leaving for Portsmouth for the start of the 2004-05 season. After only three games in his second season, Cisse moved back to France to play for Sedan before moving to Ligue 2 side Nimes, retiring at the end of the 2008-09 season.
After retirement, Cisse moved into coaching. His first job was assistant coach at CS Louhans-Cuiseaux, leaving in January 2012 to take the same role with Senegal.
7 – Henri Camara – Striker – 25
The Guinea-born striker had just finished his first season with Sedan by the time the World Cup arrived, having spent the previous few years in Swiss football. Scoring twice in four World Cup matches and impressing throughout the tournament wasn’t enough to get a move to a bigger club, and he left Sedan when they were relegated in May 2003.
His form got him a move to the Premier League and to newly promoted Wolves in August 2003. He was named the fan’s Player of the Year after scoring seven times in 30 games, but this wasn’t good enough to keep Wolves in the Premier League as they went back down. Henri refused to go back to the club during pre-season, citing a refusal to drop down a level. Camara would be sent on loan in the 2004-05 season, first to Celtic (tenuous link – my cousin was photographed in the Daily Record wishing him good luck at his medical. My aunt worked at the private hospital where it took place!) then to Southampton.
Camara eventually got his move away when Wigan signed him for 3 million pounds in August 2005. He stayed at the club until May 2009, only playing 69 times for the club in between loan spells with West Ham and Stoke City. He would then move to Sheffield United at the end of his Wigan contract, but he only stayed at the club for one season before being released in a cost-cutting measure.
In May 2010, he moved to Greek Super League side Atromitos for one year, then signed a two year deal with fellow Greek outfit Panetolikos, scoring 10 goals for Panetolikos this season as they made it into the Greek Football League playoffs.
8 – Amara Traoré – Striker – 36
“Grandpa” was at the end of a long career spent almost entirely in the French league system. The striker never appeared for Senegal in the World Cup, and was selected by coach Bruno Metsu to lend his experience to the younger members of the squad. Amara would retire at the end of the 2002-03 season with Ligue 2 side FC Gueugnon.
Amara would manage Senegal from December 2009 to February 2012, being sacked after he failed to take them to the 2012 African Cup of Nations. In March this year, he became head coach at Guinean side AS Kaloum.
Amara Traore in the dugout. Courtesy of starafrica.com
9 – Souleymane Camara – Striker – 19
The baby of the squad only played once in the World Cup. He spent the early part of his career with Monaco, spending time on loan with Guingamp along the way. He moved to Nice for the start of the 2005/06 season, but like at Monaco, he was mainly a substitute and barely started any games. Souleymane moved to Montpellier on loan at the start of the 2007/08 season, where he scored 11 times in 37 games.
This record earned him a permanent move to the southern French side, where he continued to succeed. He would score the goals that got the club out of Ligue 2 in 2008/09, took them to the Coupe de la Ligue final in 2010/11 and the Ligue 1 title in 2011/12. Last season saw his best return for Montpellier since his original loan spell, scoring 10 goals in 33 league games.
10 – Khalilou Fadiga – Midfielder – 27
Khalilou almost never made it to the World Cup for Senegal. He had declared his original allegiance to Belgium after spending the first part of his career with Belgian teams and eventually getting a Belgian passport, but was politely informed his international chances would be extremely limited. Before the tournament kicked off, he was arrested in Korea for stealing a necklace from a jewellers as a ‘prank’ and only avoided prosecution as the shopkeeper declined to press charges!
Fadiga was in the middle of a successful spell in France with Auxerre by the time of the World Cup, and his form in Japan/Korea along with his French league performances would earn him a move to Italian giants Inter Milan in the summer 2003. Sadly, he never appeared for the club after being diagnosed with a heart defect. Club doctors advised him to retire but he refused. He would then sign for Bolton for the start of the 2004-05 season, but collapsed on the field during a warm-up before a game. He would be fitted with a defibrillator due to an irregular heartbeat. Medical specialists again urged him to retire, warning that if during a game his chest was knocked the defibrillator could fail, leading to instant death.
He would play on after passing medicals, but he wasn’t the same player that dazzled the world in the World Cup and would retire in 2011 with Belgian third division side KSV Temse, only playing 50 professional league games for clubs in England and Belgium since 2004.
11 – El-Hadji Diouf – Striker – 21
El-Hadji scored eight of Senegal’s 14 goals during qualification for the World Cup, earning him the nickname of the ‘Serial Killer’. Yeah.
He played all five games during Senegal’s run to the quarter finals, and his superb form earned him a £10 million move to Liverpool in August 2002. He got off to a fantastic start by scoring twice in his Anfield début. However, he wouldn’t score again for Liverpool until March 2003 and struggled throughout his two year spell. He was sent out on loan for the 2004-05 season after spitting at a Celtic fan during a UEFA Cup game in Celtic Park in March 2003, and also having a terrible attitude and a lack of goals during the 2003-04 season.
He moved to Bolton on a permanent basis in 2005 after spending a season on loan there. He left the club at the end of the 2007-08 season, citing a need for a new challenge. While at Bolton, Diouf was banned from international football for four matches in 2004 for a verbal assault on a referee, and retired from the international team in 2007 in a temper tantrum. He was back in the Senegal squad next month. I’m aiming to keep this part fairly short, so I’ll direct you here for all his transgressions!
Diouf would then flop at Sunderland for six months before moving to Blackburn in January 2009. He got off to a fairly good start but would fall out of favour at the club during the 2010-11 season, and would move to Rangers on loan for six months in January 2011. His Blackburn contract was terminated in August 2011 after falling out with Steve Kean.
Diouf celebrating winning the Scottish League Cup with Rangers in 2011. Courtesy of Botham1983
He signed for Doncaster in October 2011 on a three month contract, and impressed enough to earn an extension on that deal until the end of the 2011-12 season, when he would move to Leeds, where he remains at the time of writing.
12 – Amdy Faye – Midfielder – 25
The tenacious defensive midfielder appeared twice in the World Cup, ending a successful season where he helped Auxerre qualify for the Champions League. He moved to Portsmouth in August 2003 for £1.5 million for a fairly unimpressive 18 month spell at Fratton Park.
That spell would come to an end when he moved to Newcastle in January 2005 as one of Graeme Souness’ first signings at the club. He never made much of an impact, playing 31 games in 18 months but mostly out of position on the right wing due to a massive injury crisis at Newcastle. Amdy would move to Charlton in August 2006, but couldn’t save them from Premier League relegation.
Amdy would spend a season on loan with Rangers for the 2007-08 season, but only played six games in total for the Scottish giants and always looked like the SPL was a higher level than he could handle. Faye would then move to Stoke for the 2008-09 season, mainly appearing as a substitute only making 20 appearances for them. He would only appear once in the 2009-10 season before being released.
Faye would move to Leeds in September 2010 until January 2011. After his contract wasn’t renewed, he announced his retirement.
13 – Lamine Diatta – Defender – 26
The powerful centre back played every single game for Senegal in the World Cup and would go on to captain the team. Playing for Rennes at the time of the World Cup, he would leave the club (and first team football) to try his luck with Lyon in August 2004. The move never quite worked out for Lamine and would be the start of a nomadic career.
Diatta moved to St.Etienne in 2006 for one season before moving to Turkish stars Besiktas in July 2007. He stayed there until March 2008, when he bought out his contract after only making six appearances. He would then sign for Newcastle for the remainder of the 2007-08 season, playing a staggering EIGHT minutes before leaving the club.
Lamine signed for Hamilton Accies in the SPL in March 2009 on a short-term deal. Without playing a game, he left the Scottish side to move to Al-Ahli Sports Club in Qatar. He spent the first half of the 2010-11 season in Tunisia with Étoile Sportive du Sahel before moving to Doncaster in January 2011 for the remainder of the season. He never played for them and retired at the end of the deal.
14 – Moussa N’Diaye – Midfielder – 23
A versatile winger, Moussa spent most of his career in the French leagues. Playing with Sedan at the time of the World Cup, he stayed with the club until the end of the 2003-04 season. He would then spend the next three seasons with three different clubs (FC Istres on 2004-05, AC Ajaccio next season then Auxerre in 2006-07) before moving out of France.
Moussa moved to Qatari side Al Rayyan for one season, until moving to rivals Umm Salal for the 2008-09 season. At the end of the season, most reliable sources suggest he retired.
15 – Salif Diao – Midfielder – 25
Salif had an eventful World Cup, scoring once but also being sent off in the same game! He had just agreed a move to Liverpool just before the World Cup kicked off, but the move to Anfield was a disaster. He only played 37 times from 2002 to 2007, in between loan moves to Birmingham, Portsmouth and Stoke. Salif would be played out of position more often that not while at Anfield, but even when played in his preferred position of defensive midfielder, it was clear he simply wasn’t good enough.
He would sign for Stoke permanently in December 2007 after an impressive loan spell the previous season with the Championship side. He would be a fixture of the first team until the 2010-11 season when injuries and loss of form began to take their toll on him. In the 2011-12 season, he only played for Stoke six times and retired at the end of the season.
16 – Omar Diallo – Goalkeeper – 29
Omar lost his first team place to Sylva just before the World Cup, and never played for his country again. I’ve struggled to find a lot of information on Omar, but he was one of only two players in the squad who didn’t play in France at the time of the tournament, playing for Moroccan side Olympique Khouribga.
He moved to Senegalese side ASC Diaraf after the World Cup for two seasons before moving to Turkish First League side Sakaryaspor in 2004. He spent one year there before moving back to Diaraf. He retired from professional football in July 2007.
17 – Ferdinand Coly – Defender – 28
The right back played every game at the tournament. Ferdinand stated before the World Cup that he wanted a crack at the Premier League after the World Cup ended, and Lens obliged when they allowed him to move on loan to Birmingham. However, he would only play one game for the club and was sent back to France by the end of the 2002-03 season.
He then moved to Italy for the 2003-04 season with Serie A side Perugia. After the club were relegated to Serie B then demoted again to Serie C in 2004, he impressed heavily and was rewarded with a move to Parma in 2005. He retired at the end of his contract in 2008.
18 – Pape Thiaw – Striker – 21
Pape made only one appearance for Senegal at the World Cup, and it would be his last appearance for his country.
Pape was in the middle of a spell with Lausanne Sports in Switzerland at the time of the World Cup, where his claim to fame was being banned for 12 games after a tunnel bust-up after a game against Servette. He moved to Metz for the 2003-04 season, where he scored 12 goals in 26 games. Thiaw then moved to Spain for a three year spell with Alaves, but he barely played.
He moved to French side US Créteil-Lusitanos for the 2007-08 season. Information is sketchy after this, but it’s believed he spent time with Spanish side CF Atlético Ciudad in 2009 before they dissolved. Pape currently plays for US Stade Tamponnaise in Reunion.
19 – Papa Bouba Diop – Midfielder – 24
Papa scored three goals in the World Cup, and had drawn comparisons to Patrick Vieira with his performances both for Senegal and for Lens in Ligue 1.
He moved to Fulham in 2004 for 6 million pounds in 2004, and became a fan’s favourite at Craven Cottage. He moved to Portsmouth in August 2007 and led the club to FA Cup glory at the end of the 2007-08 season. Papa left the club after they entered administration, moving to Greece with AEK Athens in July 2010.
He moved to West Ham for the 2011-12 season, helping the Hammers gain promotion from the Championship. In October 2012, he moved to Birmingham on a short term contract, but he left the club at the end of January as they couldn’t afford to extend the deal.
20 – Sylvain N’Diaye – Midfielder – 25
Born in Paris, Sylvain had just declared allegiance months before the World Cup and had six caps to his name. He played with Lille until 2003 when he signed with Marseille for two years. His main achievement was helping Marseille to the UEFA Cup Final and starting the match.
Sylvain also had stints with Levante, helping them achieve top flight promotion in 2006, and a loan spell in 2007 with CD Tenerife. In July 2008 he returned to France, signing with Ligue 2 outfit Stade Reims. In July 2010, he signed for AS Cannes, retiring at the end of the season.
21 – Habib Beye – Defender – 24
The right back was a firm fan’s favourite with Strasbourg at the time of the World Cup, so it was a surprise when he moved to Marseille for the 2003-04 season. He actually played in the same UEFA Cup Final as Sylvain N’Diaye, but they lost the game to Valencia, one of three cup finals Habib took part in (and lost) while at Marseille. The club captain moved to Newcastle in 2007, and was named Fan’s Player of the Year in his first season as well as…well, this…
Beye would leave Newcastle for an extremely disappointing spell with Aston Villa. Over a three year spell, he only played in nine games for the Birmingham club. His contract was terminated in February 2012 while on loan at Doncaster Rovers. Doncaster would then sign him just days later on an 18 month contract, but he would retire from football at the end of the season.
22 – Kalidou Cissokho – Goalkeeper – 23
The only member of the squad who played his club football in Senegal, he was never capped by Senegal. He stayed with ASC Jeanne d’Arc until 2004 when he moved to Azerbaijani stars Baku FC. Unusual move to say the least!
He won the Azerbaijan Premier League twice and the Azerbaijan Cup three times in his time with the club before retiring in July 2012.
23 – Makhtar N’Diaye – Midfielder – 20
Makhtar never played in the World Cup and his career never really got out of first gear.
He spent the majority of his career with Rennes and stayed there until June 2005, only playing 58 games in seven years for the club. He transferred to Yverdon-Sport FC in Switzerland for one season before moving to Rangers for the 2006-07 season on a free transfer. He only played one game for Rangers before leaving the game entirely at the end of the season.