The Senegal national team has confirmed that Sadio Mane will miss the 2022 Qatar World Cup due to injury. The announcement was made on the team's social media platform. Mane, who plays for Liverpool, recently underwent his second surgery, rendering him unable to recover in time for the tournament. This comes as a disappointment for Senegal as Mane is one of their key players.
1. Senegal's World Cup History
2002 World Cup: In their first-ever World Cup appearance, Senegal caused a major upset by defeating the defending champions, France, 1-0 in the group stage. They went on to reach the quarter-finals.
2018 World Cup: Senegal qualified for the World Cup for the second time but failed to advance past the group stage.
2. Senegal's World Cup Squad
Senegal announced their 26-man squad for the 2022 World Cup, with Sadio Mane initially included despite his injury concerns. Other notable players in the squad include Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly, and Everton midfielder Idrissa Gueye.
3. Senegal's FIFA Ranking
As of the latest FIFA rankings in March 2022, Senegal is ranked 20th in the world. This reflects their strong performance as an African team. Senegal has also been runners-up in the Africa Cup of Nations in 2002 and 2019.
4. Mane's Injury and Surgery
Unfortunately, Sadio Mane will miss the World Cup due to his injury. The Senegal Football Federation announced that he would not be able to recover in time to participate in the tournament. Following the announcement, Bayern Munich confirmed that Mane had undergone surgery.
5. Senegal's World Cup Match Against Netherlands
In their first World Cup match in Group A, Senegal faced the Netherlands on November 22nd. This was the first-ever meeting between the two teams in a World Cup. The starting lineup featured a defensive trio of Matthijs de Ligt, Virgil van Dijk, and Nathan Ake, with Georginio Wijnaldum controlling the midfield.
In conclusion, although Senegal had high hopes for Sadio Mane's participation in the 2022 World Cup, his injury and subsequent surgery forced him to withdraw from the tournament. Senegal will rely on other talented players in their squad to compete against strong opponents in their group.