And he can fully expect an even rougher ride against Turkey, who battered Japan into submission in their second-round game.
Specifically, he will be up against Aston Villa defender Alpay, who was lucky not be red-carded against Japan after a series of late challenges.
In contrast, Turkey's strikers will have a hard job contending with the tenacity of Omar Daf, Senegal's left fullback.
With 31 tackles, he tops the table of defenders in the tournament.
If the Lions of Teranga make history and become the first African team to make the semi-finals of football's most prestigious tournament, Daf's skills could be very handy indeed.