Senegal eager to live up to favourites tag at Nations Cup

By By Mark Gleeson

LIBREVILLE ( Reuters) - The group-stage elimination of holders Ivory Coast has made Senegal, who have scored six goals so far, the new favourites for the African Nations Cup as the tournament heads into the knockout rounds on Saturday.

But they face a tricky opponent in Cameroon in the second of Saturday’s quarter-finals.

The match in Franceville is preceded by the opening game of the last eight in the capital Libreville where Burkina Faso and Tunisia clash.

Liverpool winger Sadio Mane leads an impressive line-up but Senegal coach Aliou Cisse warned talent alone will not be enough to knock out the four-times champions.

"Our team has not stopped progressing since the qualifiers and it is true that against Cameroon we face a difficult opponent. It could be on the mental side that the game is won. I feel that the boys are confident," he told reporters on Friday.

Cameroon are a young side, bereft of several key players who pulled out before the tournament, but with little to lose and gaining in confidence.

Burkina Faso were the surprise package of the 2013 tournament, when they reached the final for the first time, and have similar ambitions this time round even if key midfielder Jonathan Pitroipa is out of the tournament with injury.

“That is the dream we have and our people are expecting us to do so,” said striker Prejuce Nakoulma.

Tunisia have been to 13 successive Nations Cup tournaments but have failed to reach the semi-finals since winning the trophy at home in 2004.

(Editing by Pritha Sarkar)