CHAN: Senegal coach Souleymane Diallo admits ‘spying’ on Congo

Senegal national team coach Souleymane Diallo has admitted sending a detailed scouting team to watch Congo’s first game ahead of their crucial TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN) clash at New Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar on Tuesday.

A win for Senegal, in the Group D battle would all but confirm a place in the quarterfinals, while for Congo, it could throw the group into chaos.

“We sent colleagues who watched Congo’s first game, and a report was sent to me, which I exploited, and we’ll prepare our game approach based on that report,” Diallo revealed as quoted by CAFOnline.com.

“It’s a team that plays well as a unit, very resilient, and they play well on both flanks, utilizing a 4-2-3-1 formation with wing-backs providing width.”

He added: “We know the variant in Congo’s game. The most important thing is what we do in the game. A plan was put in place throughout the week. We had five days to prepare. Tomorrow (Tuesday), we will try to apply a plan against Congo, focusing on maintaining possession and creating scoring opportunities.”

Diallo’s sentiments were echoed by midfielder Serigne Koite, who said: “We wish to validate our qualification to quarterfinals.”

A win for Senegal will send them to six points and into the last eight, while a win for Congo will put the defending champions under pressure.