Senegal national team coach, Aliou Cisse expressed his full satisfaction with how the defending champions opened their TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire 2023 title defense on Monday after thrashing The Gambia 3-0 in Yamoussoukro.

Speaking after the emphatic victory, the coach said the team did well under the trying conditions of the heat and played well despite the challenges.

“I am very satisfied with the performance of the players, especially since things were difficult given the climatic conditions and heat that we faced. We will continue to work hard on a few things that need to be rectified but overall, I am very happy with this victory”, said the coach.

On the young sensation, Lamine Camara who put up a TotalEnergies Man of the Match performance on his TotalEnergies CAF AFCON debut, Cisse boldly stated that it was his time to shine.

“Lamine Camara is a young player, and his time has come. He scored two goals against Gambia and gave a distinguished performance on the field. The young player must be trusted and developed.”

To his opponents, Cisse encouraged them that there were still matches to be played and that they should not be disheartened.

“It is not over for Gambia after losing in the first match. They can correct it, just like what happened to us in the World Cup where we lost our first match in the group stage. They can still turn things around” urged the coach