Senegal and Aliou Cissé quietly confident of recreating spirit of 2002 | Ed Aarons

In the first World Cup of the millennium Senegal beat the holders, France, in the opening match before reaching the quarter-finals. Their captain then coaches the current side

“Really we cannot thank him enough,” said West Ham’s Cheikhou Kouyaté. “In 2012 no one knew me nor Sadio Mané. He came to find me in Belgium and went to find Sadio from FC Metz. He’s close to the players. He finds the right words to really motivate us.”

It is hard not to agree with the Senegal captain’s assessment of Aliou Cissé. Sixteen years after the former midfield enforcer for Birmingham and Portsmouth led his country past the holders, France, in the opening match and into an unlikely place in the World Cup quarter-finals the suave and sophisticated 42-year-old is preparing for the Lions of Teranga’s big return.

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