Senegal have thrown down the gauntlet to the Three Lions - challenging them to a duel to reach the World Cup quarter-final.
The west African country stand between England and spot in the last eight and have told Gareth Southgate’s men to prepare for an in-your-face scrap.
Emotions were running high within Aliou Cisse’s squad after they secured passage through to the last 16 by beating Ecuador. And it was clear from their words afterwards that they are ready to mix it.
Captain Kalidou Koulibaly said: “Senegal are better when they have their backs against the wall. We see real men and against Ecuador we saw real lions on the pitch. We knew they were a team that put a lot of aggression and intensity out there on the pitch.
“They wanted to hurt us. But we are used to that. We play in Africa. We are the African champions and we are used to duels. We knew we were going to respond on the pitch. And we did.”
Everton midfielder Idrissa Gueye said that not to have reached the knockout stage - only the second time his country has managed to do so since entering the World Cup - would have been a waste of years of hard work.
The Lions of Teranga sense they are men on a mission and England will have to thwart their date with destiny if Southgate’s squad is to progress.
Gueye said: “We’re really happy getting through because of all the effort we’ve made through the years. We know we have the players for it. Against Ecuador, it was like an AFCON game - a real battle.
“The first two group games were quite complicated. In this game we had to deliver, and we did. And that was important for our people and for us.
“We made a lot of effort to qualify in the play-off game against Egypt. It would have been wasted had we not reached the last 16. We did it for the Senegalese people, for us and we hope to continue in the last 16.”
Along with Gueye, there is plenty of other Premier League experience within Cisse’s squad. Chelsea duo Edouard Mendy and Koulibaly are at the back, Gueye anchors the midfield and Watford ’s Ismaila Sarr is up front.
Sarr, in particular, ran Ecuador ragged and is growing into the tournament. Gueye added: “Ismaila can be the X-factor, the kind of player who takes people on and makes the difference.
“He is playing really well. He was really good for us against Ecuador. If he plays at that level, he can become even better, he just has to work hard and keep going, believing in himself.
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“He can be a leader. He can’t be scared because we have midfielders behind him who can compensate and recover the ball. He can focus on attacking. That’s what we need from him - to play that kind of game.”
Sheffield United's Iliman Ndiaye has been attracting admiring glances from Premier League suitors following the Blades’ encouraging start to the campaign. And Gueye sounded a note of caution for England on him, too.
He said: “We’re not surprised at Iliman because we’ve seen him in training. He works really hard and wants to go far in his career. He copies Sadio Mane - and that’s helped him a lot.
“The first time he joined up with us he was a bit shy but he’s worked hard with his club and he is more mature now, more confident. He’s been really good for us.”
