Mane defies injury as Mendy, Koulibaly and Gueye also in Senegal squad

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Dahiana Camilo
20 de noviembre de 2022
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FIFA –

Sadio Mane will play at Qatar 2022 despite injury concerns as Aliou Cisse announces his 26-man squad.

Injury-concerned Sadio Mane is one of the 26 players called up by coach Aliou Cisse
Without a club since leaving Nancy, Saliou Ciss does not have a place in the squad
Senegal are in Group A alongside the Netherlands, Ecuador and hosts Qatar, and begin their campaign on 21 November

Senegal coach Aliou Cisse, who captained Senegal at Korea/Japan 2002™ in their first FIFA World Cup™ appearance, is leading his nation into a second global tournament as a manager.

Cisse would have been relying on the talent Sadio Mane, one of the world’s most devastating attacking players, to spark Senegal into a better performance than their Russia 2018™ campaign and progress from the Group Stage, but that was called into doubt after the announcement of the Bayern Munich forward’s fibula injury.

However, Mane has passed the test and been named in Cisse’s 26-man squad for Qatar 2022™. Alongside Mane on the squad list is Abdou Diallo, who has also recently missed game time due to injury, Edouard Mendy, Kalidou Koulibaly and Idrissa Gana Gueye.

Notable absentees are headlined by Saliou Ciss – the left-back was called up for the tournament in 2018 but was ruled out through injury – who is currently a free agent and gives his spot on the left side of defence to Fode Ballo-Toure or Ismail Jakobs. Senegal commence their campaign in Group A when they face Netherlands on 21 November, before playing Qatar and Ecuador.

Senegal’s Qatar 2022 squad

Goalkeepers Edouard Mendy (Chelsea) Alfred Mendy (Stade Rennais) Seny Dieng (Queens Park Rangers)

Defenders Youssouf Sabaly (Real Betis) Abdou Diallo (RB Leipzig) Kalidou Koulibaly (Chelsea) Fode Ballo-Toure (Milan AC) Pape Abou Cisse (Olympiakos) Ismail Jakobs (AS Monaco) Formose Mendy (Amiens SC)

Midfielders Idrissa Gana Gueye (Everton) Cheikhou Kouyate (Nottingham Forest) Nampalys Mendy (Leicester City) Krepin Diatta (AS Monaco) Pape Gueye (Olympique de Marseille) Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham) Pathe Ciss (Rayo Vallecano) Moustapha Name (Paphos FC) Loum Ndiaye (FC Porto)

Forwards Sadio Mane (Bayern Munich) Ismaila Sarr (Watford FC) Boulaye Dia (Villarreal) Bamba Dieng (Olympique de Marseille) Famara Diedhiou (Alanyaspor) Nicolas Jackson (Villarreal) Iliman Ndiaye (Sheffield United)

Aliou Cisse: «I chose a team that can meet the demands of this competition. We gained experience in 2018 and through our continental championships. We are going to Qatar, aware of our qualities and above all with high ambitions.»

All squads are provisional until the final list of 26 players is announced by FIFA, following their submission by participating teams, on 15 November.