SENEGAL PROFILE: The Lions' star is ascending as they find themselves in their first World Cup writes Paul Doyle

Dakar may be best known as a finishing line for a famous rally, but Senegal’s capital may well have set a world record for staging the longest party in human history last July, when the country’s footballers qualified for their first ever World Cup by whipping Namibia 5-0 away.

And that result, achieved despite the burden of huge hopes and hype, was by no means the finest feat of a side that can plausibly claim to be the strongest African team at the 2002 World Cup. Senegal won the admiration of all of Africa by emerging victorious from by far the continent’s toughest qualifying group. Pitted against three previous African champions – Morocco, Egypt, and Algeria – the Senegalese Lions were never expected to stray from their supposedly natural habitat on the international sidelines, but they conquered with force and style.

The signs of Senegal’s ascent were first detected in the 1999 African Nations Cup, when the team, then managed by Peter Schnitteger, powered its way into the semi-final. There they came up against not only the glorified players of hosts Nigeria, but also thousands of local fans who invaded the pitch when Senegal were 1-0 up with only minutes to go. The pitch was eventually cleared and the players forced to continue as the referee feared an even graver riot if he abandoned the match. The visibly shaken Senegalese conceded a late goal and then fell 2-1 in extra-time.

That tournament, however, heralded the rise of sparkling stars like strikers Khalilou Fadiga (above) and El Hadji Diouf (left), two sons of the Senegalese diaspora who graduated from footballing schools of excellence in France.

Fadiga and Diouf represent the fruit of Senegal’s policy of scouring Europe for players who either were born abroad but are eager to play for the land of their parents, or those who were born in Senegal but who were reluctant to play for their homeland because of the shoddy organisation and in-politicking which had previously blighted its football.

They also represent Senegal’s most lethal weapons. Robust, fast, skilful, and fit, both men are also emphatic finishers. Diouf grabbed eight goals during the qualifiers.

Metsu deploys a simple but extremely fluid and effective 4-4-2 formation. They have pace, poise, and power in abundance, and a defence marshalled by captain Alioune Cissé (Montpellier) has shown itself to be resolute if not perfectly rigid. They stormed to the Final of last January's African Cup of Nations, where they were beaten after a penalty shoot-out.

Senegalese fans are irate at their FA's inability to arrange any worthwhile friendlies since then, but that will not discourage them from descending on Korea and Japan from all around the globe. Like Jamaica in '98, these fans will illuminate the World Cup. And there’s a strong chance their players will too.

Squad:

Goalkeepers
22-Kalidou Cissoko (Jeanne d'Arc), 16-Oumar Diallo (Khourigba/Mar), 1-Tony Sylva (Monaco/Fra)

Defenders
21-Habib Beye (Strasbourg/Fra), 6-Aliou Cisse (Montpellier/Fra), 17-Ferdinand Coly (Lens/Fra), 2-Omar Daf (Sochaux/Fra), 13-Lamine Diatta (Rennes/Fra), 4-Pape Malick Diop (Lorient/Fra), 5-Alassane Ndour (Saint-Etienne/Fra)

Midfielders
15-Salif Diao (Sedan/Fra), 19-Pape Bouba Diop (Lens/Fra), 10-Khalilou Fadiga (Auxerre/Fra), 12-Amdy Faye (Auxerre/Fra), 23-Makthar Ndiaye (Rennes/Fra), 14-Moussa Ndiaye (Sedan/Fra), 20-Sylvain Ndiaye (Lille/Fra), 3-Pape Sarr (Lens/Fra)

Forwards
7-Henri Camara (Sedan/Fra), 9-Souleymane Camara (Monaco/Fra), 11-El Hadji Diouf (Lens/Fra), 18-Pape Thiaw (Lausanne/Swi), 8-Amara Traore (Gueugnon/Fra)