Country: Senegal
Placed in Group H also featuring Colombia, Poland and Japan
Fixtures:
Senegal vs Poland, June 19, at 8.30 pm (Moscow Spartak)
Senegal vs Japan, June 24, at 8.30 pm (Ekaterinburg)
Senegal vs Colombia, June 28, at 7.30 pm (Samara)
FIFA ranking: 28
World Cup fixtures | Groups and points table
| Japan | Colombia" title="Group H analysis | Teams' analysis: Poland | Japan | Colombia" />Group H analysis | Teams' analysis: Poland | Japan | Colombia
Previous World Cup: Did not qualify
Last appearance: 2002 (eliminated from quarterfinals by Turkey)
Best finish: Quarterfinal finish in 2002
Star players: Sadio Mane (winger for Liverpool), Kalidou Koulibaly (defender for Napoli), Diafra Sakho (striker for Rennes)
Coach: Aliou Cisse
🏴⚒Congratulations to @WestHamUtd midfielder Cheikou Kouyate who will captain Senegal in the World Cup this summer. #Kouyate #Senegal #WorldCup #WorldCupRussia #WorldCup2018 #WestHam #WHU ⚒🏴 pic.twitter.com/4RxP52loGH
— All European Football (@AllEuFootball) May 27, 2018
Senegal coach Aliou Cisse was part of the 2002 World Cup team that scripted history by beating 1998 champions France in their first encounter and eventually making the quarterfinals. The story of their qualification is an interesting one - Senegal lost to South Africa in Group D but FIFA overturned the defeat and ordered a replay after finding the referee Joseph Lamptey guilty of match-fixing. Senegal won the replay 2-0 in November 2017 to book their Russia berth.
Having put the controversy behind them now, the African side will look for inspiration from their in-form forward Sadio Mane, who made the UEFA Champions League final with Liverpool recently. While pace is inherent in the squad, everything depends on how well the Lions of Teranga come together as a unit.
🇸🇳La première séance d'entraînement des Lions à Vittel.
— Senegal Football🇸🇳 (@SenegalFootball) May 28, 2018
[Vidéo complète sur https://t.co/s0asj0EL06]#WordCup #Senegal pic.twitter.com/7AvKxbTrgh
The other teams in the group will be wary of the athleticism prevalent in the Senegal ranks and will employ tough defenders against their world-class wingers.
Two central midfielders Cheikhou Kouyate and Idrissa Gueye can switch into defensive midfielders in the Senegalese team, helping Mane and Keita Balde push forward.
Koulibaly is a top defender but he needs support from his fellow central defenders, especially when they come up against Poland and Colombia, who both have poachers in Robert Lewandowski and Radamel Falcao respectively. Given that goalkeeper Khadim N'Diaye does not have experience playing in Europe, Senegal need all the luck they can get.
Sadio Mane has sent 300 Liverpool shirts to his village in Senegal ahead of the Champions League final 🇸🇳🙌 pic.twitter.com/qsp34Gg94I
— Football Stands (@TheFootyStands) May 25, 2018
Prediction: Senegal need to win against Japan and pull off a draw against one of the big teams in the group to progress.
| Sweden | South Korea" title="Germany | Mexico | Sweden | South Korea" />Germany | Mexico | Sweden | South Korea
| Panama | Tunisia" title="Belgium | England | Panama | Tunisia" />Belgium | England | Panama | Tunisia