DAKAR, Senegal, May 21 – Al-Nassr forward Sadio Mane has been included in Senegal’s 28-man squad for this summer’s World Cup.
The former Liverpool and Bayern Munich player was named in Senegal’s squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, but he missed the tournament with a knee injury.
Mane was the only Senegal player that remained on the pitch in January’s Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) final when Morocco were awarded a stoppage-time penalty.
The 34-year-old encouraged his team-mates to return to the pitch and finish the game, which Senegal won thanks to a Pape Gueye goal in extra-time.
However, the Confederation of African Football (Caf) later declared Morocco winners of the tournament following Senegal’s controversial walk-off.
Mane will be joined in attack at the World Cup by Bayern Munich forward Nicolas Jackson, Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye and Crystal Palace winger Ismaila Sarr.
Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw has also selected Everton midfielder Idrissa Gueye, Sunderland’s Habib Diarra and Tottenham Hotspur’s Pape Matar Sarr.
Thiaw will have to trim his squad to the Fifa-mandated 26 players ahead of the final deadline on 2 June.
Senegal open their World Cup campaign in New Jersey against France on 16 June, followed by Norway on 22 June and Iraq on 26 June.
The expanded 48-team competition in the US, Canada and Mexico runs from 11 June to 19 July.
Senegal World Cup squad
Goalkeepers: Edouard Mendy (Al-Ahli), Yehvann Diouf (Nice), Mory Diaw (Le Havre).
Defenders: Krepin Diatta (Monaco), Antoine Mendy (Nice), Abdoulaye Seck (Maccabi Haifa), Kalidou Koulibaly (Al-Hilal), Ilay Camara (Anderlecht), Moussa Niakhate (Lyon), Mamadou Sarr (Chelsea), El-Hadji Malick Diouf (West Ham United), Moustapha Mbow (Paris FC), Ismail Jakobs (Galatasaray).
Midfielders: Idrissa Gueye (Everton), Habib Diarra (Sunderland), Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham), Pape Gueye (Villarreal), Lamine Camara (Monaco), Pathe Ciss (Rayo Vallecano), Bara Ndiaye (Bayern Munich).
Forwards: Sadio Mane (Al-Nassr), Bamba Dieng (Lorient), Iliman Ndiaye (Everton), Nicolas Jackson (Bayern Munich), Assane Diao (Como), Ibrahim Mbaye (Paris St-Germain), Cherif Ndiaye (Samsunspor), Ismaila Sarr (Crystal Palace).
