Senegal unmoved by Diouf retirement

The international retirement of Senegal footballing icon El Hadji Diouf, announced here on Thursday, was greeted with scepticism in Senegalese sporting circles on Friday.

The announcement failed to make the front pages of Senegal’s daily newspapers, with former internationals dismissing it as “a non-event”.

“Are we sure that’s it not a joke?” quipped Ndiawar Ndiaye, formerly of Senegalese outfit ASC Thies, possibly in reference to Diouf’s reversed decision to leave the national set-up two years ago.

“The unfortunate consequence is that our developing team will not benefit from the experience of a few leaders like El Hadji Diouf,” former Sport Minister Abdoulaye Makhtar Diop told AFP.

“El Hadji Diouf has embodied the pride of the Senegalese, even if the team has lost ground,” said former Senegal international Yatma Diop.

Diouf, 28, etched his name into his country’s footballing folklore as part of the side that beat defending champions France in the opening game of the 2002 World Cup before going on to reach the quarter-finals.

But Senegal’s failure in October to qualify for the 2010 World Cup and African Nations Cup prompted Senegalese football officials to vow to “re-consruct” the team.

At the end of last month, Diouf along with former stars such as Salif Diao and Khalilou Fadiga were overlooked for the friendly matches against Oman on March 28 and Iran on April 1.

“It’s not the end for everyone, as there are still players like Diomansy Kamara, Habib Beye and Mamadou Niang who can still play and continue to do so,” said Makhtar Diop.

Diouf, who plays for Blackburn Rovers in the English Premier League, said in October 2007 that he was calling time on his international career after falling out with the management of the national team. He later changed his mind.