Aliou Cisse refused to be drawn on whether he is managing the best Senegal team in history, insisting the Africa Cup of Nations holders will be brought back down to earth if they lose to Ivory Coast in the last 16 on Monday.
Senegal lifted the trophy for the first time in 2021 under the stewardship of Cisse and topped Group C this time around with three wins from as many matches.
They face Ivory Coast for a place in the quarter-finals, with the hosts limping through to the knockout rounds as one of the best third-placed teams.
Cisse has an experienced squad of players and boasts the likes of Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson, Pape Matar Sarr of Tottenham and captain Kalidou Koulibaly.
Asked if he was overseeing the best Senegal side of all time, Cisse replied: “It’s hard to say.
“I don’t like talking about myself. Others can talk about us and what we are doing.
“Now is not the time to take stock because we are in the middle of competition. What matters to us is tomorrow’s match because, if unfortunately it goes badly, we will come back to earth again.”
Cisse, though, was happier to discuss how well his team have taken to their defence of the trophy.
“Our team is going through a good period after three matches, where we achieved good results in the group stage, and I am satisfied with it,” he added.
“We will play a very difficult match. If we win, we will continue the adventure, and if we lose, we will return home.
“We qualified with nine points and the opponent with three points, this does not matter. Now a new competition has begun. Ivory Coast remains a major team in Africa, they have good players.
“The defeat in their last two matches remain just an accident, they will show another performance in front of their fans.”
Atletico and Sociedad reach agreement over Le Normand transfer
Atletico Madrid have "reached an agreement" with Real Sociedad over the signing of Robin Le Normand.
The Spain defender, who was part of the side that won Euro 2024, will finalise his move to Atleti "in the coming days" for a fee believed to be in the region of €34.5million.
French-born Le Normand started his career with Brest before spending eight years with Txuri-Urdin, for whom he made 221 senior appearances across all competitions, while winning the 2019-20 Copa del Rey.
The 27-year-old is fresh from international success in Germany, where he played in six of Spain's seven matches, while he also helped La Roja win the Nations League last year.
A statement on Atletico's official website read: "Atletico and Sociedad have reached an agreement for the transfer of Le Normand. The deal will be finalised in the coming days when the player returns from his holiday.
Meanwhile, Sociedad wrote on X: "We'll always remember his dedication and gratitude to the colours that have shaped him into the player he is today. Good luck."
Guardiola 'cannot imagine' Man City's Premier League success without Ederson
Pep Guardiola believes Manchester City's Premier League dominance in recent seasons would not have been possible without Ederson.
The Brazil goalkeeper's future at the Etihad Stadium is uncertain, amid speculation linking him with a move to Saudi Arabia.
Ederson has been an integral figure for City since his arrival from Benfica in 2017, with 112 clean sheets in 250 Premier League appearances under Guardiola, while recording a save percentage of 68.17.
The 30-year-old conceded just 26 goals last season as the Citizens won an unprecedented fourth successive Premier League title - and their sixth since he joined the club.
Ederson's distribution has also been crucial to City's success, notably completing 942 of his 1,097 passes last term (85.87%).
"I wish from the bottom of my heart Eddie will continue with us," Guardiola said. "I would love him to stay.
"I cannot imagine our processes succeeding these last seasons without him. He is an important figure in the locker room."
Ederson could feature for City on Saturday when they continue their pre-season tour of the United States against Paulo Fonseca's Milan at the Yankee Stadium.
Ten Hag targets further transfers as Man Utd prioritise squad depth
Erik ten Hag wants more transfer activity ahead of his third season in charge of Manchester United, saying the Red Devils must work to replicate their rivals' strength in depth.
Ten Hag signed a new contract after overseeing United's FA Cup final victory over Manchester City in May, having previously been expected to depart.
Ahead of their first full season under the Jim Ratcliffe regime, United have spent an estimated £88million to acquire forward Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna and centre-back Leny Yoro from Lille.
But after United suffered more injuries causing a player to miss at least one match (45) than any other Premier League team last term, Ten Hag believes more is required.
"I want the squad as strong as possible," Ten Hag told reporters at a press conference ahead of Saturday's friendly versus Arsenal.
"We already made two very good buys, so when everyone is fit we have a team that can beat everyone.
"But also in squad depth, we have to catch up. We know that because when we had injuries, we were vulnerable, and we have to avoid this.
"First, by picking up fewer injuries. And second, our squad has to be that good in depth.
"Of course, we have the quality, but in the depth we have to catch up even more, because this will be a season that is survival of the fittest.
"We proved we can beat the best team. Not just once, we did it twice. Our challenge is to do it consistently, that's what we have to work for."
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