Mane headlines tried, trusted Senegal squad for World Cup

Senegal’s Sadio Mane is a key selection in the 28-man World Cup squad named by coach Pape Thiaw on Thursday as the influential forward looks to make up for lost time having missed ​the finals four years ago in Qatar through injury.Thiaw will have to trim his squad ‌by two players ahead of the final deadline towards the end of this month.Mane remains a leading player for a star-studded Senegal lineup that looks to be the most potent of the 10 African qualifiers for the finals in the U.S., ​Mexico and Canada, with a blend of experience and youthful athleticism in the squad.The 34-year-old Al-Nassr ​player is likely to lead the line but also selected are Bayern Munich forward ⁠Nicolas Jackson plus Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye and Crystal Palace winger Ismaila Sarr.Bayern’s 18-year-old midfielder Bara Ndiaye has ​also been called up but there is no place for Malang Sarr, who has excelled this season with ​Lens.Idrissa Gueye, also of Everton, has been included despite missing the tail-end of the season through injury, with Sunderland’s Habib Diarra and Tottenham Hotspur’s Pape Matar Sarr also midfield options.Experienced centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly has been picked along with goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.Senegal ​were the best team at the recent Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco and edged the hosts ​1-0 in a contentious final that was later awarded to the North Africans, a matter that is before the Court of ‌Arbitration for ⁠Sport.Senegal have been drawn in Group I at the World Cup and open their campaign against France on June 16 in New Jersey in a repeat of their famous 2002 World Cup meeting in which the African side came out on top against the then-holders.They also take on Norway at the same venue (June 22) ​and Iraq in Toronto (June ​26) in their section.Senegal ⁠reached the World Cup quarter-finals in 2002 before losing to Turkey, their best showing to date, and for several of their so-called ‘Golden Generation’ of players, Mane included, ​this will likely be their last chance to improve on that.They went out ​in the group ⁠stage following a drawing of lots in 2018 and in the round-of-16 four years ago. The post Mane headlines tried, trusted Senegal squad for World Cup appeared first on Egyptian Gazette.