Aliou Cissé unveiled yesterday, Friday May 24, a list of 26 players for the two friendly matches that Senegal will play against DR Congo (June 6) and Mauritania (June 9) counting for qualifications for the United 2026 World Cup . Author of a good season and expected for a while, Chérif Ndiaye of Red Star Belgrade received his first call-up. Facing the press, the national coach recalled the objectives of these two major meetings before returning to his list which records the absences of Boulaye Dia and Cheikhou Kouyaté, two “executive” players of the selection.
“Cherif Ndiaye showed that he is one of the best attackers”
“Cherif Ndiaye has shown throughout the season that he is capable of playing and scoring goals. The Senegal team needs that. We created a lot of chances but we scored few goals. What I wish for him is that he is welcome, that he gets his bearings and makes himself at home. He has the qualities and it is up to him to show it in training, to be patient and to bide his time. He must show that he has the level to help the team. It is not a gift given to him by selecting him. Cherif Ndiaye showed that he is one of the best attackers in Senegal.”
Absence of Boulaye Dia and Cheikhou Kouyaté
“Boulaye Dia is in difficulty with his club, with extra-football problems. I spoke to him and Cheikhou Kouyaté because they are players who gave a lot for this national team. We called them to let them know that we will not call him for these two matches. But that doesn’t mean we give up on them. I know that this season has been very hard for Cheikhou Kouyaté and many of our players. “It wouldn’t be bad to let them concentrate for next season and come back in better conditions.”
“Senegal is built to go to the World Cup”
“We have two big games. We must not hide our faces. Senegal’s goal is to return to the World Cup. This requires a good result whether against the DRC which, I point out, had a very good CAN (4th place). They are in a very good dynamic too. It’s a team that we respect but Senegal is built to go to the World Cup. The second match against Mauritania is a derby. This is going to be very complicated and very difficult. We must prepare these two meetings very carefully with a lot of serenity, but we must put in the commitment, aggression and above all the desire we need.”
“DRC and Mauritania, two serious matches”
“Two serious matches. The DRC strengthens its place as CAN semi-finalists. They are in this dynamic. This can be felt in their comments and the way they played throughout this CAN. This is a difficult team to maneuver. It’s a team that defends very well. Defensively, they are well grouped around Chancel Bemba who is a very good defender. They also have quality up front. It goes very quickly. It’s true, they have a striker who is injured. There is a player, Kakuta, a striker who goes very fast and who has a lot of quality. The DRC is a team that must be respected. We are keen to return to the World Cup. We have qualified for the last two editions. It is important that Senegal is represented. We know what awaits us in this Thursday match. As for Mauritania, it is our neighbor. There are Senegalese who are in Mauritania as they are here. We will therefore be eagerly awaited. There are Senegalese who could have played with us and who do not play with us. They will be keen to show themselves. But we must maintain our usual serenity and try to achieve the best possible result. If we call players it is to make them play. There is nothing new. Apart from Cherif Ndiaye, the players know the team’s mentality. What is important in a team is to work together to achieve our goal, to contribute and to do everything so that the team wins. »
Lions season review: “The playing time of our players is becoming worrying”
“It’s a difficult season for some. Others had a very good season. Overall, we saw players who showed very good things. Even if they haven’t been consistent all the time. There are players who have played little. It’s true that the playing time of our players is becoming worrying. We would like players to play more in their clubs, show themselves a little more and be more starters. It is from there that they bring us their experience, their competitiveness. Next season is approaching. They have two matches with the selection. They will work with their agents and representatives to go to clubs where they will play. A player who stays with a club and plays five to ten games per season, it’s very complicated to be called up. So far we have no choice but in reality this season has been inconsistent. The CAN has been there. Some had a very interesting season, others had a fairly difficult season. This is why we need to focus on these two matches so that the players go on vacation, rest and resume next season with more motivation and certainty. The clubs they go to, we will have confidence in them. They will spend more time on the pitch than on the sidelines.”
“Nicolas Jackson always had my trust”
“The playing time he gets depends on him. What interests me is the best players on the field to win. I want to win. Nicolas Jackson has always had my trust. I took him to the World Cup. I was criticized about it (on the eccentric position). Today, I’m happy that they are coming back. He’s an interesting boy and we knew his qualities. It’s true that he doesn’t get a lot of playing time with the Lions. It’s up to him to work, to show that it’s up to him to take the job and that he has his place in this national team. We’re not here to give him a gift. If he continues to work, there is no reason why he should not take his place. It doesn’t depend on us but on him.”
Absence of local players: “We thought we would have a more balanced group”
“As for the absences, we can add Souleymane Cissé and Aimé Tendeng from Jaraaf and quite a few players. We are paying attention to what is happening. In March we opened the group. This time, it’s a much smaller group. We thought we would have a more balanced group where there are the best players from Senegal at the moment. Now I can’t call 30 players to every meeting. We must continue to work. We follow this championship and the local players. Whether it’s me or my staff, we are aware of what’s happening.”
Decision of Alioune Badara Baldé to play with Guinea: “We cannot keep him”
“Alioune Badara Baldé is a boy I know very well. I was one of the people I brought to Diambars and I discussed with him even before he made this decision. We could have summoned him in March. He had the possibility of playing with Guinea. He knows that I was counting on him, Senegal was counting on him. He was one of the young people who were arriving. Now in his position, there is competition too. He has to be patient but if he decides to play with Guinea, we cannot hold him back. The same goes for Ibnou Ba, the goalkeeper. We informed them but we cannot decide their fate. They played with our small categories. The competition is quite intense. I respect the choice of his players who say that I am coming to play the CAN.”
Omar DIAW
The list of 26 Lions
Guardians : Edouard Mendy (Al-Ahli), Mory Diaw (Clermont), Seny Dieng (Middlesbrough)
Defenders : Kalidou Koulibaly (Al-Hilal), Abdou Diallo (Al-Arabi), Moussa Niakhate (Nottingham Forest), Abdoulaye Seck (Maccabi Haifa), Mikayil Ngor Faye (FC Barcelona), Arouna Sangante (Le Havre AC), Formose Mendy ( FC Lorient), Seydou Sano (Al-Gharafa)
Midfielders : Nampalys Mendy (RC Lens), Pathé Ciss (Rayo Vallecano), Lamine Camara (FC Metz), Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham), Pape Gueye (OM), Habib Diarra (Strasbourg), Idrissa Gueye (Everton), Dion Lopy ( Almeria)
Attackers : Sadio Mané (Al-Nassr), Ismaila Sarr (OM, Habib Diallo (Al-Shabab), Iliman Ndiaye (OM), Nicolas Jackson (Chelsea), Cherif Ndiaye (Red Star of Belgrade), Abdallah Sima (FC Rangers)
