Edouard Mendy had a great first season for Chelsea and earned himself a lot of fans – but with Senegal his reputation goes far beyond that.
For them he’s a key part of an AFCON winning team and a key leader, playing for one of the top teams in the world.
But his drop in form for the Blues has gradually leaked into his national team form, and the keeper was at fault for both goals as Senegal lost to the Netherlands.
To be fair, it was his impressive keeping that saved his country against Qatar, so he’s got short term credit in the bank too. Naturally his poor form has come up in the World Cup press conferences, and equally naturally he was the first to defend the player he shares a dressing room with for both club and country.
“We speak a lot, we play for the same club and we’re brothers in arms for Senegal,” said Koulibaly in quotes picked up by the Daily Mirror.
“He’s a very important player for us and it’s normal to go through difficult phases.”
Senegal will play England in the next round, and Mendy will be up against plenty more of his clubmates. The fascinating narrative of his career at Chelsea will continue, whether they win or they lose.
