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On the 20th of November, the 22nd FIFA World Cup will begin. The sporting event, almost reaching Christmas, will attract fans and supporters of various national teams from around the world.
The most visited country's football portal "Eurofootball.com" will provide reviews of the teams participating in the World Cup, aiming to get to know each team better.
This time the attention is on Senegal, the African Cup of Nations champions.
Team history and achievements
The Senegal football federation was founded in 1960, the same year the country gained independence.
A few months later, Senegal played their first match, which they lost 2-3 to the Kingdom of Dahomey.
In 1963, Senegal participated in the African Cup of Nations for the first time, finishing fourth.
In the match for third place, Senegal wearing green and white kits lost 0-1 to the Ivory Coast team.
The next appearance in the African Cup of Nations for Senegal was after 27 years, in 1990, where they finished fourth.
The team's rise began in the early 21st century when between 2000-2006, they reached the quarterfinals of the African Cup of Nations four times.
The best result during this period was in 2002 when they made it to the final but lost in a penalty shootout to Cameroon.
In the same year, Senegal made their World Cup debut and reached the quarterfinals but lost to Turkey.
In the 2018 World Cup, Senegal gathered 4 points in the group stage, tying with Japan. But they were eliminated due to more yellow cards.
In 2022, Senegal achieved their biggest victory in team history by winning the African Cup of Nations, defeating Egypt in a penalty shootout in the final.
Projected team lineup for the tournament
Goalkeepers: Edouard Mendy, Seny Dieng, Alfred Gomis, Alioune Badara Faty.
Defenders: Saliou Ciss, Kalidou Koulibaly, Pape Abou Cisse, Fode Ballo-Toure, Abdoulaye Seck, Bouna Sarr, Ibrahima Mbaye, Abdou Diallo.
Midfielders: Idrissa Gueye, Nampalys Mendy, Cheikhou Kouyate, Joseph Lopy, Pape Matar Sarr, Moustapha Name, Mamadou Loum, Pape Gueye.
Forwards: Keita Balde, Boulaye Dia, Sadio Mane, Habib Diallo, Bamba Dieng, Ismaila Sarr, Famara Diedhiou, Mame Thiam.
Coach: Aliou Cisse.
Group stage opponents
Senegal will play in Group A with the Netherlands, Ecuador, and Qatar.
Interestingly, Senegal has never played against the Netherlands or Qatar in history.
In 2002, Senegal played a friendly match against Ecuador and won 1-0.
Team coach
Aliou Cisse has been the coach of the Senegal national team since 2015.
A Senegalese former footballer who played as a defender and midfielder for clubs like Paris Saint-Germain, Birmingham City, and Portsmouth.
Since 2013, Cisse has been working in the Senegal national team system. He coached the Senegal Under-23 team for two years before taking over the men's national team.
In 2018, Cisse led Senegal to their second World Cup appearance and this year they won their first African Cup of Nations title.
In this tournament, Senegal could be a dark horse. As African Cup of Nations champions, they are in a group with one stronger team, the Netherlands, and two beatable teams, Ecuador and Qatar.
With established leaders in each position and a successful coach leading the team for seven years, Senegal can compete with some of the world football giants.
