Aliou Cissé vs Kalidou Koulibaly
Senegal against Senegal. The almanac states its case, the crowd votes, you decide.
Aliou Cissé
Senegal · 2002–22 · CB
- Almanac rating
- 83
- Rank in Senegal
- #10 of 33
- Caps
- 33 · 0 goals
- Clubs
- Paris Saint-Germain, Birmingham City, Portsmouth
Bamako, 10 February 2002: he walked up for Senegal's fifth penalty in the Africa Cup of Nations final, Alioum Boukar saved it, and Cameroon took the trophy. Twenty years later he was the coach in Yaoundé when Senegal took that title for the first time, in 2021; as a player he captained the side to the 2002 World Cup quarter-finals, and he was named CAF Coach of the Year in 2022. Career record: 33 caps and 0 goals for Senegal; club career at Paris Saint-Germain, Birmingham City, Portsmouth.
Kalidou Koulibaly
Senegal · 2002–24 · CB
- Almanac rating
- 89
- Rank in Senegal
- #2 of 33
- Caps
- 103 · 2 goals
- Clubs
- K.R.C. Genk, SSC Napoli, Al Hilal SFC
Two minutes after Moisés Caicedo levelled for Ecuador on 29 November 2022, Koulibaly answered with a volley that carried Senegal into a World Cup last sixteen for the first time since 2002. He was the captain who lifted Senegal's first Africa Cup of Nations in 2022, won the Coppa Italia with Napoli in 2020 and the Saudi Pro League with Al-Hilal in 2024, and made the Serie A Team of the Year four seasons running. Career record: 103 caps and 2 goals for Senegal; club career at K.R.C. Genk, SSC Napoli, Al Hilal SFC.
The verdict
The almanac puts Kalidou Koulibaly ahead by 6 rating points, 89 against 83.
Fans have not settled this one yet. Cast the first vote in the duels.