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Reigning Africa Cup of Nations champions Senegal will be hopeful of progressing from Group A, but lost their opening match 2-0 against the Netherlands.
Senegal have World Cup pedigree, despite this being only their third appearance on the world stage. In 2002 they shocked the world by beating holders France and making it to the quarter-finals, although they suffered a disappointing exit at the group stage in 2018, despite beating Poland in their opening match.
Aliou Cisse has plenty of talent to call upon, but is without star player and record goalscorer Sadio Mane due to injury. Meanwhile, Watford forward Ismaila Sarr is primed to win his 50th international cap despite being just 24.
Nine players in Cisse’s most recent international squad are based in England, with the vast majority of his players stationed in Europe.
Cisse will perhaps be concerned by the recent form of Chelsea duo Kalidou Koulibaly and Edouard Mendy, however. Mendy has lost his place in Graham Potter’s team to Kepa Arrizabalaga while skipper Koulibaly has yet to nail down a starting spot since his summer move from Napoli.
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Senegal’s World Cup squad
Goalkeepers: Seny Dieng (Queens Park Rangers), Alfred Gomis (Stade Rennes), Edouard Mendy (Chelsea);
Defenders: Fode Ballo Toure (AC Milan), Pape Abou Cisse (Olympiakos), Abdou Diallo (RB Leipzig), Ismail Jakobs (Monaco), Kalidou Koulibaly (Chelsea), Formose Mendy (Amiens), Youssouf Sabaly (Real Betis);
Midfielders: Pathe Ismael Ciss (Rayo Vallecano) Krepin Diatta (Monaco), Idrissa Gana Gueye (Everton), Pape Gueye (Olympique Marseille), Cheikhou Kouyate (Nottingham Forest), Mamdou Loum (Reading), Nampalys Mendy (Leicester City), Moustapha Name (Pafos FC), Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham Hotspur);
Forwards: Boulaye Dia (Salernitana), Famara Diedhiou (Alanyaspor), Bamba Dieng (Olympique Marseille), Nicolas Jackson (Villarreal), Iliman Ndiaye (Sheffield United), Ismaila Sarr (Watford).
Monday, November 21: Senegal 0-2 Netherlands
Friday, November 25: Qatar vs Senegal
Tuesday, November 29: Ecuador vs Senegal
Senegal squad analysis
You’ve got to be a pretty important footballer for the leader of your country to take time out from their busy schedule to tweet well wishes after you get injured. But that was what Macky Sall, president of Senegal, did after French media outlet L’Equipe reported Sadio Mane was likely to miss this World Cup after damaging the fibula bone in his right leg playing for Bayern Munich last week.
The situation has caused significant distress among fans and local media, given how influential the 2022 Ballon d’Or runner-up is to the Senegal team. Later, an update that the injury might heal in time for him to feature in Qatar provided some hope. It has also raised questions about whether the African champions have any chance of making an impact without their main man.
For a full analysis of Senegal’s chances in Qatar, click here.
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(Photo: Getty Images)
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