Senegal's odds to win the World Cup
100/1
Best World Cup
Quarter-final 2002
2018 World Cup
Group stage
Senegal's World Cup Schedule
|
Date |
Fixture |
Location |
|
21st November 10am |
Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor |
|
|
25th November 1pm |
Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor |
|
|
29th November 3pm |
Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan |
Road to Qatar
Senegal unsurprisingly breezed through their CAF qualifying group, winning five and drawing the other of their six games against Togo, Congo and Namibia. That success earned them a two-legged play-off against much-fancied Egypt, and with each game won 1-0 by the home team, it took a nerve-jangling penalty shoot-out to give the Senegalese their ticket to Qatar.
Recent form
Senegal have been busier than most teams in 2022, squeezing in no less than 11 games in various competitive formats since June. Mixed fortunes in African qualifying tournaments saw an assortment of three wins, three defeats and three more penalty shoot-out successes, while their final outings in September brought a morale-boosting 2-0 win over Bolivia and a final hard-earned 1-1 draw with fellow World Cup hopefuls Iran.
Senegal World Cup squad
Goalkeepers: Seny Dieng (QPR), Alfred Gomis (Rennes), Edouard Mendy (Chelsea).
Defenders: Fode Ballo-Toure (AC Milan), Pape Abdou Cisse (Olympiakos), Abdou Diallo (RB Leipzig), Ismail Jakobs (Monaco), Kalidou Koulibaly (Chelsea), Formose Mendy (Amiens), Youssouf Sabaly (Real Betis).
Midfielders: Pathe Ciss (Rayo Vallecano), Krepin Diatta (Monaco), Idrissa Gana Gueye (Everton), Pape Gueye (Marseille), Cheikhou Kouyate (Nottingham Forest), Mamadou Loum Ndiaye (Reading), Nampalys Mendy (Leicester City), Moustapha Name (Pafos), Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham Hotspur).
Forwards: Boulaye Dia (Salernitana), Famara Diedhiou (Alanyaspor), Bamba Dieng (Marseille), Nicolas Jackson (Villarreal), Sadio Mane (Bayern Munich), Iliman Ndiaye (Sheffield Utd), Ismaila Sarr (Watford).
Team insights
Probable formation: 4-3-3 Senegal have sparkled at previous World Cups and popular opinion suggests that this could be the year that sees them progress beyond their previous best quarter-final appearance. Head coach Aliou Cisse has a plethora of players with top-flight experience at his disposal, and while he has been fluid with his starting formation, it was that 4-3-3 line-up that earned them their dramatic qualification success against Egypt. Sadio Mane stands out as Senegal's star performer and he will be looking to continue the form that has taken him seamlessly from Liverpool to Bayern Munich without breaking stride. Mane suffered an injury scare two weeks before the tournament, but if fit, Senegal will always have an attacking match-winner in their midst, while Watford's Ismaila Sarr and Boulaye Dia will both be hoping to start alongside him. Edouard Mendy should start in goal behind his Chelsea team-mate Kalidou Koulibaly and Leipzig's Abdou Diallo, while the midfield could include proven EPL performers in the form of Nampalys Mendy (Leicester City), Cheikhou Kouyate (Nottingham Forest) and Idrissa Gueye (Everton).
World Cup prospects
Most of Senegal's World Cup hopes rest on Sadio Mane being fit and producing the goods, but the above list shows that this squad is teeming with experienced, talented footballers. A positive result in their crunch opener against the Netherlands would put them in the driving seat to top the group, and potentially avoid Group B favourites, England, in the next round. That should put them in the quarter-finals, at which point their momentum would make them tough opponents for any other team. Best hope: Quarter-final if their stars align
Read more about each of Senegal's Group A opponents: