May 31, 2002 is engraved in memories in Senegal. For their first participation in the World Cup, the Lions of Terranga offer themselves the scalp of the French team, crowned four years earlier at home and overwhelming favorite to succeed them.
The feat is resounding and almost a quarter of a century later, the Senegalese players have forgotten nothing about the meeting and the preparation for this match against the Blues. The motivation was enormous. “ In our looks, in our attitude, we wanted to show who we were, remembered Ferdinand Coly in the columns of Le Monde on the occasion of Senegal’s return to the World Cup in 2018. We were motivated like never before. Between Senegal and France, there is a strong relationship, a common history. We respected these players a lot. »
However, the Senegalese did not appreciate certain comments made by the Blues, bordering on arrogance. “There was a bit of that,” remembers Khalilou Fadiga. I remember that Roger Lemerre (didn’t seem to know us very well, even though almost our entire squad was playing in Ligue 1, Khalilou Fadiga said. Marcel Desailly had talked about a folk match. We had also read or heard things about marabouts… In short, it stung us! “
“ Did you see that (Bixente) Lizarazu didn’t know you? »
“And some didn’t know the difference between Souleymane Camara and Henri Camara while most of the guys were playing in Franceinsisted the former Auxerrois in the columns of The Team. It was insulting and Bruno played on that. He gave us the newspapers. Uncle Marcel
(Desailly) said it was going to be folkloric or some term like that. It pissed us off. We were still finalists of the CAN without losing (defeat against Cameroon, 0-0, 3-2 on the tab). There was zero respect. We love our continent, we respect our CAN. »
Bruno Metsu had thus provoked Moussa N’Diaye. “Did you see that (Bixente) Lizarazu didn’t know you? Who does he take you for? You’re going to show him, right? “, he had told her. “Bruno added a little and Moussa had steam coming out of his head when he saw Lizarazu, he wanted to trample him. Finally, he crossed it…”, said Kalidou Fadiga, whose preparation had been disrupted by a story of theft from a store at the airport.
