Abdoulaye Cissoko says he’s been contacted by Senegal

In the span of about two years, Abdoulaye Cissoko has gone from a virtually unknown centerback struggling for playing time in the French fifth division to a regular starter for one of the best teams in MLS. He may even be close to getting a call to one of the top national teams in Africa.

Cissoko recently told French football magazine Onze Mondial that he’s been in contact with the Senegal national team.

“Yes, I have already had discussions with the Federation,” Cissoko said. “Unfortunately with Covid, it was complicated. There were no games last year. For the A’s, I have to keep working. I have to improve myself. I know that one day I will reach this level. I must continue to work.”

Getting into Senegal would be no small feat for the 21-year-old. Senegal is rated as the No. 21 team in FIFA and made the World Cup out of one of the most competitive federations in the world. In 2019, Senegal was the runner-up in the Africa Cup of Nations and their squad is filled with players from around European top flights, including some of the world’s biggest teams.

It’s probably a little soon for Cissoko to get called up to the upcoming World Cup qualifiers in September and October given the talent he’s competing with, but it’s great that he’s at least on their radar.

At the very least, it shows how confident Cissoko is that he likes his chances of eventually getting a call. He’s definitely off to a good start.