Senegal manager Aliou Cisse said Saturday that his team's skill level is more than a match for Japan and that coach Akira Nishino's contention that his Samurai Blue players will overcome the Africans' brawn with superior technical skills may be optimistic.

Cisse was speaking after the Japan boss said his team's second Group H opponents are particularly dangerous because they combine an imposing physicality with a discipline that can be missing from some African sides.

(Cisse pictured during Senegal's World Cup opener against Poland) [Getty/Kyodo]

Nishino went on to say his players would counter the physical challenge by using "our brains to come up with strategies" and they would put their skill on the ball to use against the West Africans.

When Senegal's 2002 World Cup captain was informed about Nishino's thinking at a pre-match press conference at the Ekaterinburg Arena, he was quick to fire back.

"I do think as well that Senegal has technical qualities, we have individuals who have technical qualities that are higher than the average and that is what we are going to prove."

"I am here with a group of great professionals, people who play in great clubs, people who have been in the national team for a long time."

"It is not a discipline issue, it is an issue of (having the opportunity to) work together, of training together, of being together for a long time."

Senegal have never been beaten by Japan in the teams' three meetings and are one of three African countries to reach the World Cup quarterfinals -- a feat that has eluded Japan in their five tries.

Senegal did it with their 2002 golden generation, matching the Cameroon team from the 1990 World Cup. In 2010, Ghana joined the club on African soil when they emerged from a group containing Germany, Australia and Serbia.

Russia 2018 is the first time since 2002 that Senegal have returned to the big dance, and by beating Poland 2-1 in their opener, they maintained an unbeaten record in World Cup group-phase matches.

After saying there is nothing about Senegal that he fears, Nishino spent much of his press availability praising the Senegalese players' physical gifts, things he said give them an advantage over Japan.

"Senegal's discipline allows them to play with explosive individual talent and I think that our players feel that they will get more than they bargained for because of that tomorrow," he said.

Nishino also joked that he had asked midfielders Ryota Oshima and Takashi Inui to put on 5 kilograms and 5 centimeters.

Cisse said, "The physical quality for Senegal, and the technical quality for Japan, you can't really qualify it that way."

"I also think the Japanese have strong physical qualities. When they lose the ball, they know how to hassle people and attack at the front. They are very strong and they know how to pressure."

With both coaches hinting they would go with largely unchanged lineups on Sunday, thoughts turned to an anticipated matchup between Japan defensive linchpin Maya Yoshida and his former Southampton teammate and Senegal superstar Sadio Mane.

Nishino played down talk of a one-on-one duel, saying no one player can deal with the Liverpool forward who finished equal second on the Champions League goal-scorers list this season.

"I am sure Yoshida will be in a duel with Mane at some point, but it is not just Yoshida. All our defenders and midfielders are informed about him," said Nishino.

Despite calling Yoshida a great guy, Mane said their friendship means nothing once they cross the white lines.

"He is very professional and I know he is going to do everything he can to beat me and I will do the same on my side," he said.