The Lions of Teranga go into the game under pressure after losing their opening match 3-1 to France. A second defeat would leave Senegal in a difficult position, even with one more group match still to play against Iraq.
Senegal will come face-to-face with Manchester City forward Haaland, who scored two goals to propel Norway to their opening 4-1 win against Iraq. The 25-year-old scored in the 29th and 43rd minutes to help Norway top the group.
Ahead of the fixture, Niakhate, who during his career at Mainz and Nottingham Forest came face to face with Haaland, conceded that the towering star could be the key to deciding the World Cup game.
Haaland’s an intelligent striker
“With Haaland, you have to try to mark him in the box more than any other striker, because you absolutely have to prevent him from jumping,” Niakhite told L'Equipe ahead of the decisive Group I fixture.
“He’s an intelligent striker who knows how to put his opponent in difficulty.”
Niakhite added on Haaland: “He’s very skilful, both with his head and his feet. He’s a powerful finisher, not necessarily a dribbler. And he’s improved his heading ability.
“We see it at City, where he often finishes attacks at the far post, because he has that leap and he’s able to stay in the air, like Cristiano Ronaldo. You can also feel his physical power.”
‘I never had a falling out with him’
Niakhite admitted that marking Haaland, who concluded last season with 27 goals, securing his third Golden Boot award and matching the tally of both Harry Kane and Alan Shearer, will need all Senegal defenders to be alert and must do it as a team to succeed.
“And that’s where defending becomes an art. Because while the attacker is in action, the defender is in reaction. You just have to minimise that reaction time by being in contact, trying to read the game, and working well with your teammates,” added Niakhite.
“Because if the positioning is good, if you and your defensive partners do your job well, it prevents those spaces from being created.
“This defensive understanding is to reduce the opponents’ chances of finding passing lanes. That’s why there are partnerships in defence; we need complementarity.
“With (Kalidou) Koulibaly, we understand each other perfectly because we’re alike. We have the same codes, we think alike, we have the same references. There’s this understanding between us, and each of us knows our role.”
On his relationship with Haaland, Niakhite revealed: “When we see each other, we chat, because it’s like seeing a familiar face.
“That’s what’s great about football: there’s the competitive aspect, of course, but there’s also the human element. I never had a falling out with him. We often went head-to-head, but it was always in good sportsmanship. That matters.”
Senegal goalkeeper Mory Diaw said regarding the Norway game: “Nothing will make us lose sight of our common goal. The team’s motto is unity, as always.
“That was the case during the Africa Cup of Nations, and even before, especially during the World Cup qualifiers. We've always been all together. Just because the name of the Senegalese national team is in the media today isn’t going to change that.
“We are all together and we always will be. We’ll see how they perform on the pitch against Erling Haaland’s team.”
After playing Norway, Senegal will wind up their group matches against Iraq on June 26th at Toronto Stadium.
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