Senegal’s Sadio Mane is a key selection in the 28-man World Cup squad named by coach Pape Thiaw on Thursday as the influential forward looks to make up for lost time, having missed ​the finals four years ago in Qatar through injury.

Thiaw will have to trim his squad ‌by two players ahead of the final deadline towards the end of this month.

Mane remains a leading player for a star-studded Senegal lineup that looks to be the most potent of the 10 African qualifiers for the finals in the U.S., Mexico and Canada, with a blend of experience and youthful athleticism in the squad.

The 34-year-old Al-Nassr player is likely to lead the line, but also selected are Bayern Munich forward Nicolas Jackson, plus Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye and Crystal Palace winger Ismaila Sarr.

Bayern’s 18-year-old midfielder Bara Ndiaye has also been called up, but there is no place for Malang Sarr, who has excelled this season with Lens.

Idrissa Gueye, also of Everton, has been included despite missing the tail-end of the season through injury, with Sunderland’s Habib Diarra and Tottenham Hotspur’s Pape Matar Sarr also midfield options.

Experienced centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly has been picked along with goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.

Senegal were the best team at the recent Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco and edged the hosts 1-0 in a contentious final that was later awarded to the North Africans, a matter that is before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Senegal have been drawn in Group I at the World Cup and open their campaign against France on June 16 in New Jersey in a repeat of their famous 2002 World Cup meeting in which the African side came out on top against the then-holders.

They also take on Norway at the same venue (June 22) and Iraq in Toronto (June 26) in their section.

Senegal reached the World Cup quarter-finals in 2002, their best showing to date, before losing to Turkey. For several of their so-called ‘Golden Generation’ of players, including Mane, this will likely be their last chance to improve on that.

They went out in the group stage following a drawing of lots in 2018 and in the round of 16 four years ago.

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).

-Reuters

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The Democratic Republic of Congo have been forced to change their World Cup squad two days after announcing it, as Rocky Bushiri ​has been ruled out due to injury and replaced by ‌another Scottish-based player, Aaron Tshibola.

Coach Sebastien Desabre named his 26-player squad on Monday, but has withdrawn Hibernian centre back Bushiri. Kilmarnock defensive midfielder Tshibola has ​been called up.

“The Congolese Football Federation Association confirms the withdrawal of ​Rocky Bushiri from the 2026 World Cup, following an injury ⁠sustained during his last match with his club,” the Congolese Association ​Football Federation said in a statement.

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Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei said he and his staff would have their work cut out getting their squad ready for the World Cup at their training camp ​in Turkey, with most of the players having been out of action ‌for the last seven weeks.

The domestic Persian Gulf Pro League season was suspended after the United States and Israel launched air strikes on Iran in late February and will not resume until after the World ​Cup.

Of the 30-man squad Ghalenoei named on Saturday, 22 play for Iranian clubs and ​have been restricted to a Tehran national team training camp since ⁠friendlies against Costa Rica and Nigeria in Antalya in late March.

“Naturally, I am not ​fully satisfied with the players’ level of readiness,” Ghalenoei told the Iranian FA (FFIR) magazine before ​the departure for Turkey on Monday.

“But with a training camp that is approximately two and a half to three weeks long, we can make up about 20 to 25% of this shortfall.

“We need to ​raise our domestic-based players to the level required by the modern game,” he added. “In ​terms of age profile, I believe our domestic players are in a good position, but there are ‌still ⁠areas that need improvement.

“We must continue our work in the Turkey camp with determination and optimism.”

Iran will play Gambia in a friendly on May 29 before Ghalenoei names his final 26-man squad for the World Cup campaign by the FIFA deadline on June 1.

The ​FFIR still hope to ​schedule another friendly in ⁠Turkey and will play a behind-closed-doors match against Puerto Rico at their U.S. base in Arizona, providing they are able to enter ​the country without any issues.

“I hope that in the first four or ​five days ⁠before our opening World Cup match, we can reach suitable physical conditions,” Ghalenoei said.

“The training camp in Turkey, despite all the surrounding distractions and side issues, has become a crucial ⁠stage of ​our preparation.”

At the World Cup, Iran will take ​on New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium on June 21 in Los Angeles before rounding out their group ​fixtures against Egypt five days later in Seattle.

-Reuters

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