For the first time in their history, Senegal will be appearing at the World Cup for the second successive tournament as they look to break new ground in Qatar this winter.
Having won the Africa Cup of Nations in February earlier this year by beating Egypt on penalties in the final, the Lions of Teranga will fancy their chances of going at least one step further than when they were knocked out at the group stage in Russia in 2018.
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Indeed, the last time the tournament was held in Asia, Senegal reached the quarter-finals at their maiden World Cup in Japan & South Korea in 2002. Whether they can replicate that feat remains to be seen, but they certainly possess the individual talent to do so.
Here, Sports Mole assesses Senegal's chances of making a serious impact at the 2022 World Cup.
GROUP
Seeded in Pot 3 in April's World Cup draw, Senegal would have been delighted to see themselves drawn alongside hosts Qatar from Pot 1, although Netherlands and Ecuador were arguably two of the strongest teams they could have faced from Pot 2 and Pot 4 respectively.
Indeed, Netherlands will be expected to dominate Group A having hugely improved under the management of Louis van Gaal in recent times, although if Senegal can cause an upset - or at least avoid defeat - against them in their opening game, then they will be in a great position to qualify from the group.
Facing the hosts is never an easy prospect for any country, but Qatar are one of the lowest-ranked nations at the tournament and do not exactly have a historic footballing legacy to be fearful of. The Indomitable Lions clearly boast superior quality to Qatar and Ecuador, who they face in the final round of games in a potentially pivotal encounter.
FIXTURES
November 21: Senegal vs. Netherlands (4pm, Al Thumama Stadium, Al Thumama)
November 25: Qatar vs. Senegal (1pm, Al Thumama Stadium, Al Thumama)
November 29: Ecuador vs. Senegal (3pm, Khalifa International Stadium, Doha)
HOW THEY QUALIFIED
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Senegal comfortably topped Group H in Africa's section of World Cup qualifying, winning five and drawing one of their six matches against Togo, Namibia and Congo.
Alanyaspor's Famara Diedhiou top-scored for the Lions of Teranga with four goals - three of which came in a 3-1 win away to Namibia - while Sadio Mane and Ismaila Sarr both scored three goals apiece.
As such, Senegal advanced to the third round of CAF qualifying, which features 10 teams pitted against each other in a two-legged fight for only five African spots at the World Cup.
In a twist of fate, Senegal were drawn against their AFCON final opponents Egypt, with both teams winning 1-0 on their home turf to set up yet another penalty shootout. As was the case in Cameroon less than two months prior, Mane bagged the winning penalty to spark wild celebrations in Dakar.
RECENT FORM
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Two of three of Senegal's main objectives for the calendar year have already been completed via winning AFCON and qualifying for the World Cup, with the other likely being advancing to the knockout stages in Qatar.
Their last competitive fixtures came in late August and early September against Guinea, with both teams up against each other to qualify for the African Nations Championship in Algeria in January 2023. Once again, Senegal were victorious on penalties after a 1-1 draw on aggregate.
More recently, they beat Bolivia 2-0 in a friendly in Orleans, France, with Boulaye Dia and Mane on the scoresheet, before drawing 1-1 against Iran in Maria Enzersdorf, Austria.
SQUAD
📋✅ 𝙇𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙨 26 𝙡𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 retenus par le sélectionneur national Aliou Cissé pour disputer la Coupe du monde 2022. #FIFAWorldCup | #MankoWutiNdamli pic.twitter.com/EbwBPlpI7i
— FSF (@Fsfofficielle) November 11, 2022
Goalkeepers: Edouard Mendy (Chelsea), Alfred Gomis (Rennes), Seny Dieng (Queens Park Rangers)
Defenders: Kalidou Koulibaly (Chelsea), Fode Ballo-Toure (AC Milan), Pape Abou Cisse (Olympiacos), Youssouf Sabaly (Real Betis), Ismail Jakobs (Monaco), Formose Mendy (Amiens), Abdou Diallo (RB Leipzig), Moussa N'Diaye (Anderlecht)
Midfielders: Idrissa Gueye (Everton), Nampalys Mendy (Leicester City), Cheikhou Kouyate (Nottingham Forest), Pathe Ciss (Rayo Vallecano), Krepin Diatta (Monaco), Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham Hotspur), Moustapha Name (Pafos), Mamadou Loum (Reading), Pape Gueye (Marseille)
Forwards: Nicolas Jackson (Villarreal), Boulaye Dia (Salernitana), Ismaila Sarr (Watford), Famara Diedhiou (Alanyaspor), Bamba Dieng (Marseille), Iliman Ndiaye (Sheffield United)
STAR PLAYER - ISMAILA SARR
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With Sadio Mane ruled out of the World Cup due to requiring surgery on a serious knee injury sustained for Bayern Munich against Werder Bremen earlier this month, Senegal's attacking onus will fall on Watford winger Ismaila Sarr.
The 24-year-old is one of only two players to be in double figures for goals scored for Senegal heading into the World Cup, while his pace and trickery from a wide area may prove crucial in terms of breaking Ecuador and Qatar down.
Sarr may not have been at his best in a Watford shirt for much of the past couple of years, but he is generally a different player for his national team and the upcoming World Cup could be the time a clearly talented player finally comes of age.
Should he fail to step up in the absence of Mane, the Lions of Teranga could be sorely lacking quality and a change of pace in the final third, making him their most important player even if some players further back may be considered bigger household names.
MANAGER - ALIOU CISSE
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Aliou Cisse has been in charge of his home nation Senegal since March 2015, and he racked up his 100th win in charge of the Lions of Teranga by beating Bolivia 2-0 in September.
The 46-year-old, who earned 35 caps for his country during his playing career, has plenty of credit in the bank having guided them to both World Cups during his tenure as well as finally breaking their long-awaited duck at AFCON earlier this year.
Cisse's 70% win rate across 143 games in the managerial dugout is not to be sniffed at, and after the heartbreak of being eliminated by fair play tiebreaker rules at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, he will be desperate to see his players go at least one better in Qatar.
WORLD CUP RECORD
Best finish: Quarter-finals (2002)
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The 2022 World Cup will only be Senegal's third World Cup appearance, with their run to the quarter-finals in Japan & South Korea representing their best-ever effort at the tournament.
The Lions of Teranga caused one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history by beating holders France in the opening game of the tournament in Seoul, with the late Papa Bouba Diop's 30th-minute strike earning them a historic 1-0 victory.
Successive draws against Denmark and Uruguay proved enough to see them progress as runners-up from Group A, with a 2-1 win after extra time against Sweden in the last 16 setting up an unlikely quarter-final tie against Turkey. After a 0-0 draw in normal time, Ilhan Mansiz's golden goal four minutes into extra time broke Senegalese hearts.
Senegal's only other appearance at a World Cup came under Cisse's management in 2018, when they took four points from three matches but were dumped out on fair play tiebreaker rules after sharing an identical record with Japan. Ultimately, Yerry Mina's 74th-minute winner for Colombia on the final matchday sent them home, as they were leading the group up until that moment.
PREDICTION
Just as they did in 2002, we expect Senegal to progress as runners-up from Group A, but this time around we can see them falling at the last-16 stage rather than reaching the last eight.
Should they finish second behind Netherlands, it is likely that Cisse's side would face England in what would almost certainly be a cagey, tight encounter, but we think the Three Lions may have a little too much for them across 90+ minutes.
VERDICT: Last 16
Brett Curtis
