World Cup 2018: Senegal left flying the flag for Africa but in the face of stern Colombia test, for how long?

Three teams from Group H can all still qualify with Senegal only needing a point

Aliou Cisse must have heard the question a thousand times before but indulged a Turkish journalist when asked, at the end of his pre-match press conference, to compare Senegal’s most successful football generations. Which team was better: the swashbuckling World Cup quarter-finalists of 2002 or the potential-stacked group he is overseeing in the present day?

“I think the best team is indeed the one in 2018,” came the diplomatic and entirely unsurprising answer. Cisse may yet be right, but now is the time to prove it.

Someone is likely to be deeply disappointed when they face Colombia in Samara and it is unfortunate given that, in most eyes, these are the two best sides in Group H. A draw would qualify both if already-eliminated Poland defeat Japan and a point would be fine for Cisse’s side, too. But defeat would almost certainly put Senegal out and the stakes have suddenly become higher: rather than solely representing a country of 15 million inhabitants they are now, in wider terms, carrying the hopes of a continent whose population is almost 100 times bigger.

“It is something positive,” Cisse said when asked if there was any extra burden on Senegal after Africa’s four other competitors were eliminated early. Should the Teranga Lions fall short here then, for the first time since 1982, no African side will have reached the World Cup knock-outs; it is a statistic that at once shows how much its football has improved and how, on present evidence, it seems to have stagnated again.

“We know the whole African continent is backing and supporting us,” Cisse continued. “We have the Senegalese people behind us, and Africa, so we know we have to pass this test with flying colours. I think we have everything to do it and it’s very positive to have the whole continent behind you.”

There is always a danger in being reductive when subscribing to such ideas: it should never be taken as read that Africa, as one entity, is all of the same mind and motivation. But Cisse broadly spoke the truth: it would give African football a huge boost if a team could do what Ghana so nearly did in 2010, just failing to reach the semi-finals amid a tide of support in South Africa, and their half of the draw looks wide open.

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One of Senegal, Colombia, Sweden, Switzerland, Croatia and Denmark will make the last four this time around: someone is going to threaten a major surprise and Cisse is keen that nobody makes too much of the frustrating draw with Japan that planted seeds of doubt into an excellent start.

“We are number one in the group right now,” he said. “We have to be defeated by them and it’s not easy to defeat Senegal.” That much is certainly true and it is why any detailed inquest into Africa’s struggles this year should be postponed until their fate is known. Morocco thrilled at times but fell just short in both boxes; Nigeria lacked creativity and switched off at key times against the better teams in Group D; Tunisia caused England and Belgium a few flutters but little more; Egypt, perhaps distracted by the Mohamed Salah circus, endured a disastrous tournament after such a euphoric qualification. The stage is Senegal’s to show what they can do differently.

“Colombia may raise a few difficulties for us but we have a few answers up our sleeves and I think we will be able to use them,” Cisse said. “We know that we will be able to make history and we are determined to do it.”

The last 16 would be a worthy stage for Sadio Mane, Kalidou Koulibaly and others in an excellently-drilled, compact and often exciting team that is certainly one of its continent's best. Now they find themselves charged with showing that the cream of Africa can still live with everyone else at the World Cup's sharp end.