Senegal could be Africa's strongest representative at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, boasting a squad well equipped to threaten the very best that Europe, Asia and South America can offer.
Although packed with leading talent from the English, German and Italian leagues, the Africa Cup of Nations champions are an unpredictable quantity.
This will be the third World Cup appearance for the Lions of Teranga, two decades after their run to the 2002 quarterfinals — which included a sensational opening-match victory over Thierry Henry, Zinedine Zidane and France.
That result on debut remains one of the biggest shock results in World Cup history.
Across seven years at the helm, coach Aliou Cisse has nurtured a golden generation of Senegalese talent into an efficient, dangerous force. They'll be a team to avoid in Qatar even without star man Sadio Mane.
WORLD CUP 2022 SELECTED SQUADS:
Australia | Argentina | Belgium | Brazil | Cameroon
Canada | Costa Rica | Croatia | Denmark | England
France | Germany | Ghana | Iran | Japan | Mexico
Netherlands | Poland | Portugal | Qatar | Senegal
Serbia | Spain | Switzerland | Uruguay | USA | Wales
Senegal World Cup squad 2022
Senegal boss Aliou Cisse had been sweating on the fitness of star man Sadio Mane ahead of announcing his squad for Qatar but decided to include him before it was later confirmed he'd have to withdraw.
The Bayern Munich attacker had hoped to be fit for the opener against Netherlands on November 21 but Senegal confirmed he had to undergo surgery on a leg injury sustained in his final match for his club in the 6-1 win over Werder Bremen and as a result would have to withdraw from the squad.
Senegal were forced to make another late change to the squad ahead of their first match, when it was deemed that young defender Ismail Jakobs was ineligible to play at the tournament, forcing them to remove him from the squad in place of Moussa Ndiaye.
| Position | No. | Player | Club | Age | Caps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | 1 | Edouard Mendy | Chelsea (ENG) | 30 | 25 |
| GK | 25 | Alfred Gomis | Rennes (FRA) | 29 | 14 |
| GK | 23 | Seny Dieng | Queens Park Rangers (ENG) | 27 | 3 |
| DEF | 3 | Kalidou Koulibaly | Chelsea (ENG) | 31 | 63 |
| DEF | 12 | Pape Abou Cisse | Olympiacos (GRE) | 27 | 12 |
| DEF | 4 | Abdou Diallo | RB Leipzig (GER) | 26 | 18 |
| DEF | 22 | Fode Ballo-Toure | AC Milan (ITA) | 25 | 14 |
| DEF | 14 | Moustapha Name | Pafos (CYP) | 27 | 6 |
| DEF | 11 | Formose Mendy | Amiens (FRA) | 21 | 2 |
| DEF | 6 | Moussa Ndiaye | Anderlecht (BEL) | 20 | 0 |
| DEF | 7 | Youssouf Sabaly | Real Betis (SPA) | 29 | 24 |
| DEF | 8 | Cheikhou Kouyate | Nottingham Forest (ENG) | 32 | 82 |
| MID | 5 | Idrissa Gueye | Everton (ENG) | 33 | 95 |
| MID | 6 | Nampalys Mendy | Leicester City (ENG) | 30 | 18 |
| MID | 13 | Pape Gueye | Marseille (FRA) | 23 | 11 |
| MID | 17 | Pape Matar Sarr | Tottenham (ENG) | 20 | 8 |
| MID | 24 | Mamadou Loum N'Diaye | Reading (ENG) | 25 | 3 |
| MID | 16 | Pathe Ciss | Rayo Vallecano (SPA) | 28 | 0 |
| MID | 15 | Krepin Diatta | Monaco (FRA) | 23 | 25 |
| FWD | 18 | Ismalia Sarr | Watford (ENG) | 24 | 47 |
| FWD | 21 | Boulaye Dia | Salernitana (ITA) | 25 | 18 |
| FWD | 20 | Bamba Dieng | Marseille (FRA) | 22 | 12 |
| FWD | 9 | Iliman Ndiaye | Sheffield United (ENG) | 27 | 14 |
| FWD | 19 | Famara Diedhou | Alanyaspor (TUR) | 29 | 24 |
| FWD | 25 | Nicolas Jackson | Villarreal (SPA) | 21 | 22 |
Senegal best player, strengths & weaknesses
Senegal seized their continental title on penalties against Egypt before qualifying for Qatar via the same method against the same heartbroken opposition in a game mired in controversy, following a dominant unbeaten run to the playoff final.
Their spot-kick pedigree could come in handy in Qatar, but the raw pace and power in this team will make them a formidable opponent across 90 minutes.
Stars
Cisse has built his Senegal project around a core of stars to rival any other nation. Edouard Mendy, Kalidou Koulibaly, Idrissa Gueye and Sadio Mane are all top-class operators who know exactly what's required at this level but they'll now be looking for someone to fill the void with the latter now unavailable.
Strengths
Outside of the COSAFA Cup, at which Senegal fielded a B-team, only one team has managed to score more than once past Koulibaly and company since October 2020. That was Liberia, who beat them 2-1 in July.
Pape Abou Cisse and Abdou Diallo are dependable forces at the back, ahead of UEFA Champions League winner Mendy between the sticks.
Ismalia Sarr is in fantastic form and will provide some much needed creative and goalscoring support.
Weaknesses
Reliance on Mane for goals has been a long-standing issue, with Boulaye Dia and Famara Diedhou an unconvincing set of striking options but they'll now need to step up.
In comparison with the starting lineup, Senegal's bench sees a drop in quality. Depth could be a key issue in Qatar, especially with the injury risk higher at a mid-season World Cup.
The form of Nampalys Mendy will also be a concern. The 30-year-old is a reliable figure in the Senegal midfield but is struggling to get minutes at Leicester City.
Senegal World Cup group
Mendy and his teammates will be confident of taking Senegal to the knockout stages for only the second time, with a group including low-ranked Ecuador and Qatar.
The Netherlands are in good form ahead of the World Cup and qualified strongly. Their opener with Senegal will be a critical, unpredictable, mouth-watering prospect.
Senegal Group A fixtures and match schedule
| Date | Match | Time (ET) | Stadium |
| Mon, Nov. 21 | Senegal vs. Netherlands | 11 a.m. | Al Thumama Stadium |
| Fri, Nov. 25 | Qatar vs. Senegal | 8 a.m. | Al Thumama Stadium |
| Tues, Nov. 29 | Ecuador vs. Senegal | 10 a.m. | Khalifa Int'l Stadium |
Can Senegal replace players on World Cup roster?
Once the final 26-man roster is official, participating teams at the World Cup can only make changes before the first game of the tournament, and only in the case of extraordinary circumstances.
According to the official tournament rules, "a player listed on the final list may only be replaced in the event of serious injury or illness up until 24 hours before the start of his team's first match."
The team in question would need to submit a medical report to FIFA and if the world governing body determines "the injury or illness is sufficiently serious to prevent the player from taking part in the FIFA World Cup" then the replacement will be allowed.
The replacement player must come from the preliminary list of players submitted to FIFA in October.