16 – Omar Diallo – Goalkeeper – 29
Omar lost his first team place to Sylva just before the World Cup, and never played for his country again. I’ve struggled to find a lot of information on Omar, but he was one of only two players in the squad who didn’t play in France at the time of the tournament, playing for Moroccan side Olympique Khouribga.
He moved to Senegalese side ASC Diaraf after the World Cup for two seasons before moving to Turkish First League side Sakaryaspor in 2004. He spent one year there before moving back to Diaraf. He retired from professional football in July 2007.
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17 – Ferdinand Coly – Defender – 28
The right back played every game at the tournament. Ferdinand stated before the World Cup that he wanted a crack at the Premier League after the World Cup ended, and Lens obliged when they allowed him to move on loan to Birmingham. However, he would only play one game for the club and was sent back to France by the end of the 2002-03 season.
He then moved to Italy for the 2003-04 season with Serie A side Perugia. After the club were relegated to Serie B then demoted again to Serie C in 2004, he impressed heavily and was rewarded with a move to Parma in 2005. He retired at the end of his contract in 2008.
18 – Pape Thiaw – Striker – 21
Pape made only one appearance for Senegal at the World Cup, and it would be his last appearance for his country.
Pape was in the middle of a spell with Lausanne Sports in Switzerland at the time of the World Cup, where his claim to fame was being banned for 12 games after a tunnel bust-up after a game against Servette. He moved to Metz for the 2003-04 season, where he scored 12 goals in 26 games. Thiaw then moved to Spain for a three year spell with Alaves, but he barely played.
He moved to French side US Créteil-Lusitanos for the 2007-08 season. Information is sketchy after this, but it’s believed he spent time with Spanish side CF Atlético Ciudad in 2009 before they dissolved. Pape currently plays for US Stade Tamponnaise in Reunion.
19 – Papa Bouba Diop – Midfielder – 24
Papa scored three goals in the World Cup, and had drawn comparisons to Patrick Vieira with his performances both for Senegal and for Lens in Ligue 1.
He moved to Fulham in 2004 for 6 million pounds in 2004, and became a fan’s favourite at Craven Cottage. He moved to Portsmouth in August 2007 and led the club to FA Cup glory at the end of the 2007-08 season. Papa left the club after they entered administration, moving to Greece with AEK Athens in July 2010.
He moved to West Ham for the 2011-12 season, helping the Hammers gain promotion from the Championship. In October 2012, he moved to Birmingham on a short term contract, but he left the club at the end of January as they couldn’t afford to extend the deal.
20 – Sylvain N’Diaye – Midfielder – 25
Born in Paris, Sylvain had just declared allegiance months before the World Cup and had six caps to his name. He played with Lille until 2003 when he signed with Marseille for two years. His main achievement was helping Marseille to the UEFA Cup Final and starting the match.
Sylvain also had stints with Levante, helping them achieve top flight promotion in 2006, and a loan spell in 2007 with CD Tenerife. In July 2008 he returned to France, signing with Ligue 2 outfit Stade Reims. In July 2010, he signed for AS Cannes, retiring at the end of the season.
21 – Habib Beye – Defender – 24
The right back was a firm fan’s favourite with Strasbourg at the time of the World Cup, so it was a surprise when he moved to Marseille for the 2003-04 season. He actually played in the same UEFA Cup Final as Sylvain N’Diaye, but they lost the game to Valencia, one of three cup finals Habib took part in (and lost) while at Marseille. The club captain moved to Newcastle in 2007, and was named Fan’s Player of the Year in his first season as well as…well, this…
Beye would leave Newcastle for an extremely disappointing spell with Aston Villa. Over a three year spell, he only played in nine games for the Birmingham club. His contract was terminated in February 2012 while on loan at Doncaster Rovers. Doncaster would then sign him just days later on an 18 month contract, but he would retire from football at the end of the season.
22 – Kalidou Cissokho – Goalkeeper – 23
The only member of the squad who played his club football in Senegal, he was never capped by Senegal. He stayed with ASC Jeanne d’Arc until 2004 when he moved to Azerbaijani stars Baku FC. Unusual move to say the least!
He won the Azerbaijan Premier League twice and the Azerbaijan Cup three times in his time with the club before retiring in July 2012.
23 – Makhtar N’Diaye – Midfielder – 20
Makhtar never played in the World Cup and his career never really got out of first gear.
He spent the majority of his career with Rennes and stayed there until June 2005, only playing 58 games in seven years for the club. He transferred to Yverdon-Sport FC in Switzerland for one season before moving to Rangers for the 2006-07 season on a free transfer. He only played one game for Rangers before leaving the game entirely at the end of the season.
