Things are becoming clearer for Senegal in the home stretch of CAN 2023. 21 days before the start of the competition, we know the important dates, including those of the gathering and departure of the players.
In recent days, the different teams that will participate in the upcoming CAN have provided the final details of their preparations. After the expanded lists phase, it is the final list of players selected for the competition which is eagerly awaited. Besides Angola , which was the first nation to make its final list, there was Mozambique and Namibia which recently communicated their ambassadors. As for the Lions of Teranga, reigning champions, we will have to wait until December 29 to find out the players who will travel to Ivory Coast.
The precise dates for the Lions of Teranga
If we knew since then that the Senegalese would have to remain faithful to their habit by regrouping in Dakar, the confirmation has come. Exclusively, journalist Saykou Seydi informs that Sadio Mané and his teammates will indeed regroup in the Senegalese capital, and it will be from December 30 , the day after the final list that Aliou Cissé will make. For the few days that Senegal will benefit from to prepare, a friendly match against Niger will be held at the Me Abdoulaye Wade stadium.
After the blessings of the authorities and the Senegalese population, the Lions of Teranga will fly on January 9 towards Yamoussokro, their base camp in Ivory Coast. Housed in Group C along with Gambia, Guinea, and Cameroon, Senegal will officially enter the competition on Monday, January 15 at 3 p.m. (GMT) against the neighboring Gambians led by Tom Saintfielt. After this important first match, the reigning champions will have a lot to do against Cameroon on Friday January 19 at 6 p.m. (GMT). It will be the shock of this Group C before completing the group phase against Guinea on Tuesday January 23 at 6 p.m. (GMT).
Senegalese players and their last club match
In any case, the key dates are finally known for Senegal. We will now have to cross our fingers so that injuries do not decimate the den of the Lions of Teranga. While the cases of players like Boulaye Dia and Namphalis Mendy remain worrying in recent hours, we have to keep our fingers crossed. In the Premier League, we will have to pay attention to players like Idrissa Gana Gueye and Nicolas Jackson, who are playing their last club match of the year this weekend. In France, it’s already the holidays and a sigh of relief for players like Ismaila Sarr, Iliman Ndiaye, Lamine Camara, and Papa Gueye who finished without injury.
The contingent of stars in Saudi Arabia
In addition to these players, the large contingent of star players from the Senegalese selection remains to be watched in Saudi Arabia. If most of the championships end this weekend, this is not the case in the Saudi Pro League where the clubs will play until the eve of the new year. Holder and honored this Friday with Al Nassr, Sadio Mané still has two games to play before joining the selection. Al Nassr’s last match in 2023 is also scheduled for December 30, the date of the start of the Lions’ regrouping in Dakar.
For his part, goalkeeper Edouard Mendy has only one match left to play with Al-Ahly and it will be on December 29, the same for Kalidou Koulibaly, the captain of the Senegalese selection who plays with Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia. Habib Diallo, the other senior member of the selection who also plays in the Saudi championship, will play his last club match this year on December 30 with Al-Shabab. In any case, we will closely monitor the situation of these players in this final stretch of CAN 2023.
