Everton had two players jet off to Africa for the international break as Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gana Gueye look to stamp their authority on the international stage.
Everton have relied heavily on both Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gana Gueye so far this season.
Sean Dyche was full of praise for Gueye after his performance against West Ham recently, stating that he knows the club inside out.
Ndiaye has been very effective at different points throughout the current campaign, with his performance against Ipswich being one of the highlights.
However, Ndiaye is becoming frustrated due to the position he’s currently being deployed in, as Dyche continues to persist with him out wide on the left.
The pair were in action for Senegal against Burkina Faso yesterday evening, and here’s how the media reacted to their performances.
How the Senegal media reacted to Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gana Gueye’s performance against Burkina Faso
Iliman Ndiaye started in the number 10 role for his country. This will frustrate many Everton fans who are desperate to see him operate in that role at Everton.
Idrissa Gana Gueye started in the holding midfield role as expected.
Senegal media outlet wiwsport reacted to the performances of the Everton pair, and it seems as if there was a mixed response on the pair.
Idrissa Gueye (6.5/10): Starting in the double pivot with Pape Gueye, the 35-year-old veteran did not miss his match. If Senegal were not very dominant in midfield, Gana managed to weigh in with his impact, his well-judged passes to break the lines and destabilize the opposing block, like this one for Nicolas Jackson in the 9th minute, or in set pieces. An invaluable effort.
Iliman Ndiaye (5.5/10): A first quarter of an hour where he was in good shape and where he could have opened the scoring in the 6th minute of play following a delicious individual action. Lined up in the heart of the game, the player was the most dangerous Senegalese at the beginning of the match. At the back, he had more difficulty bringing danger into the box. He regained his juice in the last quarter of an hour and his technique allowed him to make a difference and create a chance (78′). Replaced at the 88th minute.
Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gueye’s performance in numbers vs Burkina Faso
Idrissa Gueye played the full 90 minutes against Burkina Faso.
He had 76 touches, a passing accuracy of 96%, made four key passes, completed four of his nine crosses, completed three of his four long balls, blocked two shots, won six of his nine duels, lost possession 10 times, was fouled twice, made one clearance, one interception and four tackles.
Ndiaye didn’t quite make the full 90 as he was taken off in the 88th minute, and it doesn’t appear to have been one of the best games from him when you look at the stats.
The Everton midfielder had 41 touches, a passing accuracy percentage of 85, made two key passes, completed two of his four dribbles successfully, won two of his nine duels and lost possession 14 times.
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