Aliou Cissé's mantra over the last six years as Senegal coach has been hard work, application and belief. And for the last 20 minutes of his team's semi-final against Burkina Faso, the trinity of values fused vibrantly to fire a 3-1 romp past enterprising opponents and passage into a second successive final at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Fittingly the talismanic striker Sadio Mané struck the killer blow in the 87th minute at the Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo in Yaoundé.
Second-half substitute Ismaila Sarr sent the Liverpool forward clear after pouncing on the ball following a mix-up between Ibrahim Touré and Edmond Tapsoba.
Mané raced into the box, drew the goalkeeper Sofiane Ouedraogo and dinked the ball stylishly into the gaping net.
He ran nonchalantly onto the adjacent running track around the field. Task completed. Just one more job to do.
Opponents
Cameroon or Egypt - who play at the Olembé Stadium on Thursday, will be as adroit and a tad more wily than Burkina Faso.
Kamou Malo's young side drove at Senegal from the outset of the encounter as the former police officer had promised in the prelude to the clash.
Bourema Banda was lively down the left wing while Tapsoba - who was celebrating his 23rd birthday - played with flair from the back to arrest Senegal's assaults and launch the counter-attacks.
"It has been a good adventure," said Malo. "Stopping in the semi-final doesn't make us happy. We wanted to go on. But Senegal were more athletic and more experienced. I congratulate my team for the adventure. There is a medal to seek on Saturday."
That third place play-off game will take place at the same stadium after the Conferderation of African Football - which organises the Cup of Nations - switched the time of the match to avoid congestion in Yaoundé on Sunday.
Character
If they respond to Saturday's challenge as effectively as they reacted to the disappointment of conceding two quick goals to Senegal, they will be heading back to their country with some metal.
Abdou Diallo began the undoing of Burkina Faso in the 70th minute. The Paris Saint-Germain defender stabbed in from close range following a corner. The second followed six minutes later.
Mané chased after the ball as it sped to the by-line and despite the presence of Issa Kaboré, managed to brazen his way past him and cut the ball back for Idrissa Gueye to double the score.
Clearly forgetting one of Cissé's central tenets, Senegal started to ease off and Burkina Faso punished the fickleness.
Kaboré atoned for his earlier weakness with a powerful run down the right, he crossed and Touré kneed the ball past the Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
Five minutes later, such slapstick would cost his side the third goal.
"We faced a lot of difficulties," said Cissé after becoming the first coach of Senegal to lead a team to back-to-back finals.
"We obviously want to win the tournament. We are going to play the final without pressure. We are going to play the game and not the stakes."
