Sadio Mané is still the heartbeat of Senegal. The Lions of Teranga won AFCON 2021, reached the World Cup quarter-finals in 2002, and want to go further this time. Mané has moved to Saudi Arabia, but he still plays with the hunger of a lion after its prey. Add Ismaïla Sarr's pace and Kalidou Koulibaly's authority at the back, and Senegal look like a serious African hope.
Pape Thiaw is the manager, and Senegal sit around 17th in the FIFA ranking.
Mané's time at Liverpool and Bayern Munich, plus several World Cups, makes him a proven big-game player. Koulibaly was a commanding presence at Napoli and organises a back line like a general. Sarr brings frightening pace and directness from wide areas, and full-backs caught in transition tend to suffer. The squad also has unusual unity, built through the AFCON win and World Cup campaigns together.
Can Senegal go further than 2002?
They have the most complete profile of any African team here. They can defend, they can attack, and they know how to win knockout tournaments, as AFCON 2021 showed. Mané may be past his Liverpool peak, but his leadership still carries real weight in that dressing room. If the whole team pulls together, the Lions of Teranga could make history of their own.
Tomorrow: number 16.
