After beating Poland in their FIFA World Cup 2018 opener, Senegal have a great chance of securing qualification into the next round on Sunday when they take on Japan. Manager Aliou Cisse has brought the side back to the World Cup after a 16-year absence and if their performance against Poland is anything to go by, then Senegal look set for a nice run in the competition. Could it be possible that their form is based on some unique training methods?

The Lions of Teranga played a smart game against Poland. Cisse was happy to let the Poles dominate possession (61%), but he made sure that his team didn't give up any quality chances. Robert Lewandowski, who scored 16 of Poland's 28 goals during the qualifiers, was limited to only one shot on goal and the only goal conceded in a 2-1 win came through a set play.

Cisse, who captained Senegal in their only previous World Cup appearance in 2002, was appointed as manager in March 2015 and the win over Poland was his 17th in 29 matches in charge. For more than a decade, Senegal were known as a team full of individual talents, but Cisse has made them play as a team that works hard for each other. During his time at the helm, Senegal have lost just four times, conceding only 0.77 goals per game.

Senegal arrived in Russia in the midst of an ugly run that saw them fail to beat the likes of Uzbekistan and Luxembourg. In total, they failed to win four of five matches, scoring just once or none on four occasions. Yet, the team also has a good attacking record with Cisse, scoring 1.70 goals per game.

So what's the secret behind Cisse's success with Senegal? Could it be a totally different training regime compared to other teams? We've gotten a glimpse of some of it ahead of their second match against Japan.

Senegal can secure qualification into the next round today if they beat Japan and Poland play out a draw with Colombia.