FIFA WC 2022: Despite the absence of striker Sadio Mane, who will miss the tournament due to a leg injury, football pundits believe Senegal are Africa’s best hope for success at the World Cup.
Mane, who finished second to Karim Benzema in this year’s Ballon D’Or vote for the best player in the world, injured his right fibula while playing for Bayern Munich and was ruled out of the cup.
Senegal’s “Lions of Teranga,” the Africa Cup of Nations champions, went unbeaten in their final four warm-up matches before the main event in Qatar.
Senegal’s chances of progressing out of Group A, where they face the Netherlands on Monday before facing host nation Qatar and Ecuador, will be harmed by Mane’s absence, but they remain a strong team.
“Senegal has a very balanced squad with players from top clubs.” And I’m confident they can do the same for their country,” said Colin Udoh, a Nigerian sports journalist, to Reuters.
“I believe that despite the loss of Sadio Mane, Senegal will go the furthest.” And they have a very winnable team.”
Cameroon, Ghana, Morocco, and Tunisia are also vying to be the first African team to reach the World Cup semi-finals, but they face tougher competition in their groups.
“All of the African teams’ groups are tough; only Senegal is doing well,” said Yaya Toure, a former Ivory Coast and Manchester City midfielder.
Mane has been Senegal’s talisman, scoring the game-winning penalty in the Africa Cup of Nations final in Cameroon in February and securing World Cup qualification six weeks later. Both times, they defeated Egypt on post-match penalties.
While Senegal has other key players, including Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy and defender Kalidou Koulibaly, Udoh believes it will be a long shot for them to win the trophy.
If Senegal advances from the group stage, they will most likely face heavyweight teams like Brazil or Argentina in the knockout stages.
“We want to make it to the semi-finals, maybe even the finals,” Toure said.
“I’m confident that one team on the continent will do us proud.”
