All 32 teams participating in the World Cup in Qatar are introduced.
This time, we will introduce Group A, Senegal national team, which has one of the most talented groups in Africa at the peak of their powers after winning the Africa Cup of Nations.
Basic Information
| Number of appearances | 3th（second consecutive） |
| Highest Achievement | Quarter finals |
| FIFA Ranking | 18th |
| Capital city | Dakar |
| Population | 16.74 million |
| Manager | Aliou Cissé |
| Nickname | The Lions of Teranga |
＜Results of last 6 games＞
| 3/25 | World Cup qualifier | Egypt | ● | 1-0 | A |
| 3/29 | World Cup qualifier | Egypt | 〇 | 1-0 | H |
| 6/4 | AFCON | Benin | 〇 | 3-1 | H |
| 6/7 | AFCON | Rwanda | 〇 | 1-0 | H |
| 9/25 | Friendly match | Bolivia | 〇 | 0-2 | A |
| 9/27 | Friendly match | Iran | △ | 1-1 | H |
・One of Africa’s most talented teams, now in its golden generation, will be looking for revenge for the World Cup in Russia, where they were eliminated in the group stage.
・The lineup of this year’s tournament has been called the strongest of all time, with talent from the last row to the front line playing in the first round in Europe. In the back, E. Mendy, a defender with a reputation for stopping shots, and koulibaly, one of the best CBs in the world, lead a solid defensive lineup, and in the midfield, strong gatekeepers hunt for the ball. In addition, the highly athletic attackers, led by Viktor Mane, will be aiming for the goal in a straight line with their speedy attacks.
・“The Lions of Teranga” with their impressive roster of talents, have honed their solid defensive organization and world-class speed under the long-term Cisse administration, and are poised to shake up the world in Qatar. Now that the golden generation, which has experienced the summit of Africa, has entered its prime, they should be able to repeat the top 8 finish at the World Cup in Japan and South Korea, and aim for even greater heights.
| Date of a match | Local game start time | Opponent | Total match record | |
| Section 1 | November 21 | 13：00 | Netherkands （8th） | None |
| Section 2 | November 25 | 16：00 | Qatar （48th） | None |
| Section 3 | November 29 | 18：00 | Ecuador （44th） | 2 wins, 0 draw, 0 losses |
Manager
| （Name） | Aliou Cissé |
| （Date of birth） | March 24, 1976（46） |
| （nationality） | Senegal |
| （inauguration) | Mar. 2015 |
・As captain of the Senegal national team in the current generation, he made a major contribution to the team’s top eight finish at the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea. With his trademark dreadlocks, he is also known for his dandyish appearance.
・The team will draw on the athleticism and incredible speed of the tournament’s most explosive attackers, led by Mane, and tactics that maximize the individuality of one of Africa’s most talented corps.
・The Qatar World Cup, in his seventh year in office, is the culmination of a team that is considered the golden generation.
Basic Formations & Tactics
Maximize individuality by “hollowing out the midfield” Front line arrows directly threaten the goal.
＜Basic Formation＞
＜At Attack＞
・A major characteristic of the build-up is the “hollowing out of the midfield. While the three midfielders are a combination of strong physicality and ball-winning ability, they have difficulty in game-making ability. First, anchor N. Mendy drops to the center of the final line to support Koulibaly and A. Diallo in the down-three. Meanwhile, inside halves I. Gaeye and Kouyate aim to recover second balls by taking up relatively high positions.
・Downesley manages the risk at the back while Cribari or A. Diallo distributes highly accurate long feeds to the front line without much effort. When Mane or I. Sarr picks up the second ball that the front-line CF competes with in the air, the team speeds up quickly.
・The second feature is that the wings do not open wide, but take up half-space as a standing position. The large outside lane is the space that the SBs utilize in their up-and-down participation in the attack, while the wingers support the CFs in the inside lane.
・They also make numerous channel runs deep into the opposition’s territory and are actively involved off the ball. Although there have been a few games in which the team has been held up by the ball for longer periods of time, this will not be a major concern at the World Cup tournament, where they will be facing many opponents of equal or higher rank.
＜At Defense＞
・Because of its orientation toward linear attacks, it is characterized by an emphasis on risk management in the rear during attacks. In negative transitions, the team gives top priority to retreating and plays a retreat defense in its own position, and plays a sophisticated and organized defense that uses both retreating and high presses. Once the defensive formation is in place, they aim to induce the opponent into a midfield net to launch a counter.
・When setting up blocks deep in their own territory, a thick wall of strength continues to bounce back both on the ground and in the air, centered around E. Mendy, who boasts outstanding saving ability, and Koulibaly, one of the best CBs in the world. The organization has grown a lot as an organization since the last tournament in terms of strength and endurance in inferiority.
Star players（Top 4）
Sadio Mané（FW/Bayern）
・”World class winge”
・He is the best in the world in both scoring and assisting sense. He is an immense presence on the front line. He is characterized by his speed, physicality, skillful dribbling, and dedication. He sprints vigorously both offensively and defensively, and can score goals on his own, but he also excels in off-the-ball movement, where he can assess the situation around him and change his judgment.
・Last season, with the addition of Luis Diaz, he moved to the center of the field and was effective as a false 9, dropping back to receive the ball and creating chances.
・His high press and defensive contributions on retreats are also outstanding, and he possesses at a high level the abilities required of a modern FW.
・This summer, he left Liverpool, where he had achieved many glories, for the prestigious German club Bayern.
Édouard Mendy （GK/Chelsea)
・“The Absolute Guardian of the African Champion”
・A GK who has established a solid position by keeping clean sheets with his high saving ability. When he joined Chelsea in 2020, he suddenly contributed to the Champions League victory. He also won the African Cup of Nations (AFCON 2022) with Senegal, defeating Egypt on penalties in the final.
・Positioning is rough and awareness of the second goal is relatively low, but because of his height and long limbs, he can hit the ball anywhere on his body without having to make detailed positioning. He’s good at highballs and his incredible reaction time puts his teammates at ease.
・Prior to joining Chelsea, he was unattached for a year.
Kalidou Koulibaly（DF/Chelsea）
・“Monster CB”
・He is one of the best in the world in both name and reality, unbeatable in defending against opponents, and with his nearly 190cm height and thick body, he is also one of the most agile and fastest. His sharp reading and control of the final line are also outstanding. In addition to defending against opponents, he can also cover vast spaces.
・He also contributes greatly in attack with his skill with his feet. He is almost complete as a CB, with his accurate vertical passing in the midfield and set pieces that take advantage of his overwhelming height.
Idrissa Gueye （MF/Everton）
・“The Crusher”
・He is a star player in the Paris Saint-Germain team, and plays the role of a black sheep in the defense.
・He is an athletic tackler with a great sense of urgency and determination. He is a shrewd and aggressive tackler in the midfield, snatching the ball at the slightest opening to nip an attack in the bud.
・He returned to his old club Everton this season.
Players List
＜GK＞
| Name | Age | Club team | Representative Results (Goals) | |
| Édouard Mendy | 30 | Chelsea | 25 caps | ・With a history of escaping hardship through unemployment insurance. |
| Alfred Gomis | 29 | Stade Rennais | 13 caps | ・He is known for his reaction speed and consistent saves, and boasts a high penalty-kick blocking rate. |
| Seny DIENG | 27 | QPR | 4 caps | ・The defensive range is wide and the reflexes to shots are good. |
＜DF＞
| Kalidou Koulibaly | 31 | Chelsea | 62 caps | ・Also fights racism. |
| Saliou Ciss | 32 | Without Club | 37 caps | ・Leadership and influence within the team. |
| Youssouf Sabaly | 29 | Real Betis | 24 caps | ・While a reserve for Bellerin last season, his presence increased as the season progressed. |
| Abdou Diallo | 26 | RB Leipzig | 17 caps（2） | ・Developed a reputation during his time in Dortmund and moved to PSG ・Moved to RB Leipzig in search of opportunities |
| Bouna Sarr | 30 | Bayern | 13 caps | ・In some cases, he is also used in midfield for the national team, a valuable addition to the options available to him. |
| Fodé Ballo-Touré | 25 | Milan | 13 caps | ・Aiming for a permanent position by improving his shoddy defense and appealing to his prized offensive ability. |
| Pape Abou Cissé | 27 | Olympiacos | 12 caps（1） | ・Characterized by high interpersonal skills and aerial strength |
| Abdoulaye Seck | 30 | Maccabi Haifa | 5 caps | ・Tall CB with overwhelming strength in the air. |
| Alpha Diounkou | 21 | Barcelona B | 0 caps | ・He was a member of Manchester C and Barça’s lower divisions. |
| Moustapha NAME | 27 | Pafos FC | 6 caps | ・If you make use of the wide field of view and spread the pass, you can also seize the opportunity to attack and swing the net. |
| Formose MENDY | 21 | Amiens | 1 caps | ・If you use your long legs to block the pass, you can activate the attack with the pass and dribbling. |
| Ismail JAKOBS | 23 | ASMonaco | 2 caps | ・He won the U-21 European Championship as a member of the German national team, but chose his father’s homeland. |
＜MF＞
| Idrissa Gueye | 33 | Everton | 94 caps（7） | ・Former Everton player alone welcomes Mane’s departure from Liverpool |
| Cheikhou Kouyaté | 32 | Nottingham Forest | 82 caps（4） | ・Veteran who has shown his ability in the premier for a long time. |
| Nampalys Mendy | 30 | Leicester City | 17 caps | ・High ball-capturing ability is a weapon. ・Midfield balancer in the national team |
| Pape Gueye | 23 | Marseille | 10 caps | ・Dynamic play with high athletic ability and strong physicality to energize the team |
| Pape Matar Sarr | 20 | Tottenham | 7 caps | ・Promising young stars of the next generation |
| Moustapha Name | 27 | Pafos FC | 5 caps | ・A struggling player from the domestic league struggling in the lower part of the French league |
| Mamadou Loum | 25 | Reading FC | 3 caps | ・He contributes to the team’s assembly with his strong body, stable technique and ball-handling skills. |
| Pathé Ismaël CISS | 28 | Rayo | 1 caps | ・A late-blooming midfielder who dominates the midfield with plenty of momentum and judgment. ・I shut out Barcelona this season |
| Krepin DIATTA | 23 | ASMonaco | 26 caps (2) | ・Winger on the right side ・Possible to aggressively approach the goal and use multiple offensive positions |
＜FW＞
| Sadio Mané | 30 | Bayern | 91 caps（33） | ・21-22 Liverpool broke new ground by using CF |
| Ismaïla Sarr | 24 | Watford | 47 caps（10） | ・Candidates for the next generation of stars |
| Keita Baldé | 27 | Spartak Moscow | 40 caps（6） | ・Unfinished masterpiece that continues to await its awakening ・Married to a model |
| Famara Diédhiou | 29 | Alanyaspor | 24 caps（10） | ・A valuable piece that serves as a post on the front line and makes the attack work. |
| Boulaye Dia | 26 | Salernitana | 17 caps（2） | ・He is physically gifted, and his play is a spectacle to behold, taking advantage of his outstanding springiness. |
| Bamba Dieng | 22 | Marseille | 11 caps（2） | ・Young striker rising in prestigious Marseille and rapidly gaining recognition |
| Habibou Diallo | 27 | Strasbourg | 14 caps（2） | ・Consistent double-digit scoring in Ligue-Anne |
| Nicolas Jackson | 21 | Villarreal | 0 | ・Promising attacker ・Winger, but can also be used in CF ・He moves around extensively and produces both goals and assists with his sharp dribbling and shooting. |
| Iliman NDIAYE | 22 | Sheffield United | 1 caps | ・An attacker who greedily aims for goals even from an unreasonable posture and mass-produces points from the opening |
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