“Time for some African voodoo sh*t” – Fans divided over injured Sadio Mane’s call up for Senegal’s FIFA World Cup squad
Despite breaking his fibula less than two weeks before the World Cup, Sadio Mane has been included in Senegal’s World Cup squad. Following his team’s 6-1 Bundesliga thumping of Werder Bremen on Tuesday, the Bayern Munich forward hobbled off the field with an apparent fibula head injury, according to the Bavarian giants.
Mane’s readiness for Senegal’s World Cup run, which gets underway against the Netherlands on November 21, was reportedly in doubt according to reports in Germany and France, but Bayern did not rule him out of the competition.
Although Senegal coach understands the former Liverpool star’s condition needs to improve before he can play, Aliou Cisse has opted to take a chance on Mane by including him in his 26-man team for the journey to Qatar. Chelsea defender Kalidou Koulibaly will captain the Lions of Teranga in Qatar, with Blues team-mate Edouard Mendy also set to start in goal.
Twitter reactions as Senegal announce their 26-man squad for 2022 FIFA World Cup
Senegal squad for 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar
Goalkeepers: Seny Dieng (Queens Park Rangers), Alfred Gomis (Rennes), Edouard Mendy (Chelsea);
Defenders: Fode Ballo-Toure (Milan), Pape Abou Cisse (Olympiacos), Abdou Diallo (RB Leipzig), Ismail Jakobs (Monaco), Kalidou Koulibaly (Chelsea), Formose Mendy (Amiens), Youssouf Sabaly (Real Betis);
Midfielders: Pathe Ciss (Rayo Vallecano), Krepin Diatta (Monaco), Idrissa Gueye (Everton), Pape Gueye (Marseille), Cheikhou Kouyate (Nottingham Forest), Mamadou Loum (Reading), Nampalys Mendy (Leicester City), Moustapha Name (Pafos), Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham);
Attackers: Boulaye Dia (Salernitana), Famara Diedhiou (Alanyaspor), Bamba Dieng (Marseille), Nicolas Jackson (Villarreal), Sadio Mane (Bayern Munich), Iliman Ndiaye (Sheffield United), Ismaila Sarr (Watford).
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Sujeeth Shetty
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