Senegal started their final preparations for Thursday’s World Cup qualifying match in Togo on a low note with only five players available for training on Monday.
Senegal play Togo at the Stade de Kégué in Lome and receive Congo three days later in Thiès in a Group H match.
The Senegalese Football Federation confirmed on its website that the five players only trained in their hotel room in Lome.
“The first training session initially planned at the JCA field finally took place indoors in their hotel because of the low number of players present (05 in total),” the website reports.
“Thus Cheikhou Kouyate, Bouna Sarr, Famara Diedhiou, Moustapha Nam and the young goalkeeper of Casa- Sports Alioune Badara Faty were able to do many workshops with the physical trainers.”
The federation said they expected a full squad by Monday evening with likes of Liverpool star Sadio Mane and Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy set to join camp.
“The group will be reinforced by fifteen others who arrived in the early evening of Monday. A training session is scheduled for tomorrow Tuesday at 3:30 pm at the JCA field in Lomé with a full workforce,” the website adds.
Senegalese coach Aliou Cisse has selected French-born Pope Alassane Gueye in the 25-member squad for the forthcoming academic World Cup qualifying matches against Congo and Togo.
Cisse has selected the Olympic Marseille midfielder Gueye after he recently announced a switch from France to represent his parents’ home country Senegal.
However, the federation’s deputy secretary general Ibrahima Niang has today announced that defender Abdou Diallo and goalkeeper Seny Dieng have withdrawn from the squad after testing positive for Covid-19.
The Teranga Lions already secured their spot in the last phase of the World Cup qualifiers for Africa.
Senegal lead the group with unassailable 12 points, four points away from second and third-placed Togo and Namibia whereas Congo anchor the table on two points.
Senegal full squad:
Goalkeepers : Edouard Mendy, Alfred Gomis, Seyni Timothy Dieng
Defenders : Kalidou Koulibaly, Ibrahima Mbaye, Bouna Sarr, Cheikhou Kouyaté, Fodé Ballo Touré, Abdou Diallo Pape Abdou Cissé, Saliou Ciss
Midfielders : Idrissa Gana Guèye, Nampalys Mendy, Krépin Diatta), Pape Matar Sarr Moustapha Nam France, Mamadou Loum Ndiaye, Pape Alassane Guèye
Forwards : Sadio Mané, Ismaël Sarr, Boulaye Dia, Famara Diédhiou, Habib Diallo, Bamba Dieng