The mood at Duhail Sports complex was buoyant last night as Senegal’s squad started the countdown for one of the biggest games in their history.
Under the floodlights, those who had not been involved in the 2-1 defeat of Ecuador, which set up a last-16 showdown with England on Sunday, found themselves being encouraged and cajoled by a divisive character, well known to Premier League crowds.
El-Hadji Diouf — once of Liverpool, Bolton, Blackburn and Leeds — is now an adviser to the president of the Senegal FA but he was working as hard as any of the young men hoping to square up to England in Al Khor, doing laps of the pitch and sweating buckets.