Egypt: Senegal coach regrets Koulibaly's absence ahead of Algeria clash

W/S Senegal strikers shooting at training session, Cairo
W/S Senegal player Sadio Mane shooting
M/S Mane shooting
M/S Mane shooting
M/S Mane shooting
W/S Senegal strikers shooting
W/S Senegal players come together
W/S Senegal head coach Aliou Cisse oversees training
W/S Senegal players and coaching staff in huddle on one knee
W/S Senegal players and coaching staff in huddle
W/S Cisse and midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate arrive at press conference
SOT, Aliou Cisse, Senegal coach (French): "The second match of the group has been a false move for us and that defeat, if you want, allowed us to remotivate ourselves, to become even stronger. Friday it's a final, a final it's a special match. It's not about making a let's-go-to-war speech, we stay in the context of football. We are very relaxed and very focused."
W/S Press conference *CUTAWAY*
SOT, Aliou Cisse, Senegal coach (French): "Kalidou [Koulibaly] he's an exceptional guy and he's a great player, in my opinion is among the best defenders in the world. Ahead of calling him [to play with Senegal] I had a talk with him and I told him 'listen, I'm bringing the best of the Senegal team, we're going to play at the World Cup and the CAF'. Today I'm sad he's not with us. He's a great patriot, despite he wasn't born in Senegal he's a guy who has a lot of character, he's a guy who thinks about the team, and everything he does it's truly to support the national team to progress, his personal interests do not count, and to lose such a guy it's a loss for our defensive system."
W/S Cameras *CUTAWAY*
SOT, Aliou Cisse, Senegal coach (French): "Algeria is a great team. We do greatly respect the Algerian team but, as I said, we also have points to assert. So, we are not showing up at this final as 'victims' as you say."
W/S Cisse and Kouyate leave press conference, Cairo
SCRIPT
Senegal's national squad held a final practice on Thursday in Cairo, ahead of Friday's Africa Cup of Nations' final against Algeria.
Senegal's strikers, including captain Sadio Mane, were seen starting the session with shooting practice before joining the rest of the squad for training.
"Algeria is a great team. We do greatly respect the Algerian team but, as I said, we also have points to assert", said Senegal coach, Aliou Cisse during a press conference the same day.
He also regretted the absence of key defender Kalidou Koulibaly, who will miss the match after being suspended for two yellow cards in the knockout phase. "To lose such a guy it's a loss for our defensive system", Cisse added.
Cisse's team are looking to win AFCON for the first time, when they face Algeria at Cairo International Stadium.
Both sides met in the group stages, with 1990 champions Algeria winning 1-0.