Zimpapers Logo

DAKAR. — Sadio Mane headlines a strong Senegal squad named on Friday for the Africa Cup of Nations finals where they will be one of the favourites.

The Liverpool striker, the reigning African Footballer of the Year, will be key to Senegal’s hopes of winning a first continental title after finishing runners-up at the last edition in Egypt in mid-2019. Coach Aliou Cisse has selected 27 players for the tournament in Cameroon, including captain Kalidou Koulibaly and Watford’s Ismaila Sarr, who have both been out with injury.

The 30-year-old Koulibaly suffered a thigh strain at the start of the month in the Italian Serie A with Napoli and had been ruled out for December, putting his participation at a third successive Cup of Nations in doubt. Sarr hurt his knee in Watford’s 4-1 win over Manchester United last month, has not played since and was expected to be sidelined until February.

But Cisse has taken a chance on both recovering before for the tournament, where Senegal start their Group B campaign against Zimbabwe in Bafoussam on January 10. They also take on Guinea and Malawi in the opening round. Cisse also included former France junior international Pape Gueye, who switched allegiance and made his debut for Senegal last month.

Also picked was Nampalys Mendy, another former France junior international who has not played a single game for Leicester City this season. He was a record signing for the club in 2016 but not included in their squad for the Premier League or Europa League this season.

Senegal coach Cisse has named a squad he hopes will finally bring him an Africa Cup of Nations title which has eluded him for over two decades.

The 45-year-old tasted defeat in a final first as captain in 2002 where he missed a penalty in the shootout defeat to Cameroon, and then as coach in 2019.

“I want this Africa Cup of Nations. I have been running after it since 1999,” he said at the press conference after unveiling the squad.

For his third finals as coach, he has selected a group which includes 17 who have yet to play in the biennial African football showpiece.

“It is not the novelty (of the finals) that will make the difference, but they can bring a freshness of approach to the squad,” he said.

However, there is experience too in the shape of Liverpool star Mane, Paris Saint Germain midfielder Idrissa Gueye, Napoli defender Koulibaly and Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.

Senegal will begin their preparations with a camp in Rwanda on December 30.

“We chose Rwanda because they have the same characteristics as Bafoussam with the height,” said Cisse.

Meanwhile, Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez is set to captain Algeria at the Africa Cup of Nations as he is named in the defending champions’ squad.

The 30-year-old led the Desert Fennecs to their second continental title in Egypt in 2019 with a 1-0 win over Senegal in the final.

Algeria will begin the defence of their title on January 11 against Sierra Leone before facing Equatorial Guinea and Ivory Coast in Group E.

Senegal AFCON Squad

Goalkeepers: Seny Dieng (Queens Park Rangers), Alfred Gomis (Stade Rennes), Edouard Mendy (Chelsea)

Defenders: Fode Ballo-Toure (AC Milan), Saliou Ciss (Nancy), Pape Abou Cisse (Olympiakos), Abdou Diallo (Paris St Germain), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli), Cheikhou Kouyate (Crystal Palace), Ibrahima Mbaye (Bologna), Bouna Sarr (Bayern Munich), Abdoulaye Seck (Antwerp)

Midfielders: Idrissa Gana Gueye (Paris St Germain), Pape Gueye (Olympique Marseille), Joseph Lopy (Socahux), Mamadou Loum (Deportivo Alaves), Nampalys Mendy (Leicester City), Moustapha Name (Paris FC), Pape Matar Sarr (Metz)

Forwards: Keita Balde (Cagliari), Boulaye Dia (Villarreal), Famara Diedhiou (Alanayspor), Habib Diallo (Racing Strasbourg), Bamba Dieng (Olympique Marseille), Sadio Mane (Liverpool), Ismaila Sarr (Watford), Mame Baba Thiam (Kayserispor).

Algeria AFCON Squad

Goalkeepers: Rais Mbolhi (Al Ittifaq), Alexandre Oukidja (Metz), Moustapha Zeghba (Damak).

Defenders: Youcef Atal (Nice), Abdelkader Bedrane (Esperance), Houcine Benayada (Etoile Sahel), Djamel Benlamri (Qatar SC), Ramy Bensebaini (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Ilyes Chetti (Esperance), Reda Halaimia (Beerschot), Aissa Mandi (Villarreal), Mehdi Tahrat (Al Gharafa), Mohamed Amine Tougai (Esperance).

Midfielders: Haris Belkebla (Stade Brest), Sofiane Bendebka (Al Fateh), Ismael Bennacer (AC Milan), Yacine Brahimi (Al Rayyan), Sofiane Feghouli (Galatasaray), Adam Ounas (Napoli), Ramiz Zerrouki (Twente Enschede), Adem Zorgane (Charleroi)

Forwards: Mohamed El Amine Amoura (FC Lugano), Youcef Belaili (unattached), Said Benrahma (West Ham United), Farid Boulaya (Metz), Baghdad Bounedjah (Al Sadd), Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City), Islam Slimani (Olympique Lyonnais). — Reuters.