His name is associated with the summit of African football. Aliou Cissé, the man who led Senegal on the roof of the continent in 2021, is a respected figure whose place seemed to be at the head of ambitious selections or large clubs. However, after an aborted experience in Libya, the Senegalese technician is about to engage in a new project. A project which, on paper, looks like a surprising step back, a choice which questions its real ambitions and which could be interpreted as a need to revise its claims down to simply continue to exercise.
USM Algiers, a challenge far from the continental pomp
This unexpected destination is therefore theUSM Algiers. According to several concordant sources, very advanced contacts were established between the 49 -year -old coach and the club of the Algerian capital. If the track materializes, it would be a 180 degree turn in its career. Because if the USMA is a historic club, winner of the Confederation Cup two years ago, it does not evolve in the same sphere as the teams that Cissé is used to directing. Eighth of the last Algerian championship, the club has never won the African C1.
This choice, if confirmed, can be analyzed as a desire to revive in a different framework, less exposed. After the end of his long cycle with the Senegal and the termination of his contract with Libya for unpaid wages, Aliou Cissé may have felt the need to find the daily life of a club. Accepting a reconstruction project like that of the USMA would then be a way of proving that it can also succeed in a different context, far from the spotlights of major international competitions.
After Senegal, Cissé approaches Algeria
Aliou Cissé ready to go back to jump better
Nothing is yet finalized. The main obstacle remains of a financial order. The salary of a caliber technician of Aliou Cissé is a considerable investment for the USM Algiers, and the talks continue. The Algerian club, which has long considered the track leading to the Spaniard Juan Carlos Garrido, has made its absolute priority. The Usmist management seems ready to make a significant effort to attach the services of a coach capable of restoring structure and credibility to his project.
Aliou Cissé's interest in the USM Algiers may surprise, but perhaps he is in a longer-term strategy. By choosing a less prestigious but concrete challenge, he offers himself the opportunity to work on a daily basis and stay active, rather than waiting for an offer from a leading selection that may not come. It is a bet, that of retreating to potentially jump better, hoping that a success in Algeria will reopen the doors of the highest African level.
