Fastgoal.com <World Cup 2018> - Group H - Senegal Team Review

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Senegal

FIFA World Ranking: 28
Qualifying Average Goals Per Match: 1.88
Qualifying Average Goals Against Per Match: 0.63
Qualifying Top Scorer: Diafra Sakho, Mame Biram Diouf and Sadio Mané (2)
World Cup Best Performance: Quarter Finals (2002)

Group H Opponents: Colombia, Japan and Poland


The Manager: Aliou Cissé
As captain of the national side in 2002, Cissé was at the heart of the greatest generation of players in the countries football history.

Having only been involved in coaching since 2013, he wouldn’t be the most experienced manager in the competition, but few men know Senegalese football better. Previously in charge of the under 23 side, he has been in the hot seat with the seniors since 2015.

Unbeaten in qualifying and conceding just three goals in the latter Group phase, Cissé has done all that has been asked of him to date, but now comes the big test. Having been part of the side that shocked the world when making the quarter finals as a player, will he be able to repeat the feat as a manager?


The Squad:
First choice keeper Khadim N’Diaye plays his club football in Senegal with Horota, but almost the entirety of the rest of the squad is made up of players hailing from the top European leagues, with England and France being the biggest contributors.

Centre back Kalidou Koulibaluy has been sensational with Napoli this term and marshals an organised and tactically aware back line.

The five regular midfielders all play their club football in England. Idrissa Gueye has been solid for Everton, whilst Cheikhou Kouyaté of West Ham captains the side. Badou Ndiaye was just about the only bright spark in what was a dire season for Stoke City and may have played his way into the starting line-up.

Plenty of attacking options through the Rennes duo of Diafra Sakho and Ismaila Sarr in addition to the talented but wayward M’Baye Niang. The star of the show though is undoubtedly Liverpool’s Sadio Mané.


Star Man: Sadio Mané
As part of the Premier League most devastating attacking triple threat, Mané in tandem with Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah, has ripped defences to shreds week in and week out this season, be it in the Premier League or on the European stage. Tricky, quick and a solid creator and taker of chances, Mané doesn’t have quite the supporting cast he does at Liverpool, but is nevertheless the driving force behind much of Senegal’s best attacking work and one of the genuinely world class players in the side.


Outlook:
With so much quality running through the team, Senegal would be fancied to escape a few of the other groups at this year’s tournament. As it stands though they look to have landed in a pretty tough section here, with both Poland and Colombia boasting strong squads. Colombia would appear to be the more vulnerable of the two, but overall still look to have the edge over Senegal. But only just.


Group H Prediction: http://fastgoal.com/forum/index.php?topic=2487.0

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