Rarely has an African nation raised so many hopes on the world stage as this Senegal. Led by their talented coach Aliou Cissé, the Teranga Lions arrive with full confidence, on the strength of a brilliant success in the African Cup of Nations, their very first, last February against the Egyptian rival.
The story
They will try at all costs to avoid the snub of the last edition, eliminated… by the number of cards in their group, tied on points with Japan (4) and goals scored and conceded. Then came the fair play ranking, favorable to the Japanese (4 yellow cards against 6).
Team form
For this time to get out of a pool at its level, Senegal has an armada of players to be feared by all the other selections, like goalkeeper Édouard Mendy, and central defender Kalidou Koulibaly. But the immense doubt remains the state of form of the leader of the Senegalese attack Sadio Mané. And if he were to end up not playing any match? With him, the Teranga Lions flew over their qualifying group, finishing undefeated (5 wins, 1 draw) ahead of Togo, Namibia and Congo with 15 goals scored and only 4 conceded in six games, before beating on penalties on goal Egypt in the play-offs. First African nation in the Fifa ranking ahead of Morocco, Senegal is also its most serious representative, provided it has a 100% Sadio Mané.
The list of 26 selected players
It was the great uncertainty of Aliou Cissé’s list. Sadio Mané, the second for the Ballon d’Or 2022, is present in the Senegal group for Qatar. He will be surrounded by two other owners of the last African Nations champion: Edouard Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly. Note, many players passed in Ligue 1 like the ex-Parisians Abdou Diallo, Idrissa Gueye or even Youssouf Sabaly.
- Guardians: Edouard Mendy (Chelsea), Seny Dieng (QPR), Alfred Gomis (Renes)
- Defenders: Youssouf Sabaly (Betis Seville), Kalidou Koulibaly (Chelsea), Abdou Diallo (RB Leipzig), Pape Abou Cisse (Olympiakos), Formose Mendy (Amiens), Ismail Jacobs (AS Monaco), Fode Ballo Toure (AC Milan)
- Environments : Nampalys Mendy (Leicester), Cheikhou Kouyaté (Nottingham), Pape Matar-Sarr (Tottenham), Idrissa Gueye (Everton), Moustapha Name (Paphos), Mamadou Loum (Reading), Pape Gueye (OM), Pathe Ciss (Valladolid)
- Forwards: Sadio Mane (Bayern Munich), Boulaye Dia (Salernitana), Nicolas Jackson (Villareal), Krepin Diatta (AS Monaco), Bamba Dieng (OM), Iliman Ndiaye (Sheffield United), Ismaila Sarr (Watford), Famara Diedhiou (Alanyaspor)
The likely composition
Solid on all lines, Senegal will be a very difficult team to play, full of experience as well as talent. The ex-Parisian Idrissa Gueye will be the master to play in the middle, while we should find in the Senegalese selection many heads known in Ligue 1 (Jakobs, Mendy, Dia, Diatta…).
The player to watch: Sadio Mané
Will he be on the field? If so, will it be 100%? At 30, just before his last-minute injury with Bayern Munich which almost forced him to forfeit, Mané was in the form of his life, not far from the Ballon d’Or at the end of a full year with Senegal and Liverpool. Now spearheading the German champion’s attack, the Senegalese striker had already made the World Cup ” [son] new dream” at the end of his first CAN won at the beginning of the year. Will he be able to help his partners get there? This is the big question for an entire country.
