The title is a result of long-term investment, says Senegal coach Diaz

Senegal head coach Saliou Dia says their conquest at the TotalEnergies U17 Africa Cup of Nations comes as a result of years of investment and he was delighted it was finally bearing fruit.

Senegal came from a goal down to beat Morocco 2-1 and clinch the U17 AFCON title for the first time in their history.

“I am really delighted for this victory. I want to thank the coaches and the Academies as well as training centres who worked hard to prepare these players to have such kind of a performance. This is work and investment that started many years back and now the fruits are here,” the tactician stated after his side’s dramatic victory in the final.

Looking back at the match, Dia admitted it was a difficult match, with Senegal going behind for the first time in the tournament.

“We played against a very strong team. Conceding first made the match very difficult but I think we should have been more cautious. We managed to regroup and dominated possession of the ball especially in the second half. It gave us a result and I am happy that the players gave a good fight and never gave up,” added the former Senegalese international.

Despite the victory, Dia says there is plenty to learn and correct as they head out to prepare for their second World Cup appearance.

The tactician says the team’s stay in Algeria was memorable and paid tribute to the fans for making them feel at home from day one.