Reigning champions Senegal have decided they will take on Rwanda in their last Africa Cup of Nations qualifier with a second-string squad and have picked a completely different selection to take on Algeria in a friendly that pits the last two continental champions against each other.
Senegal’s last Group L qualifier is a match without any stakes, but the subject of some controversy after Senegal were expecting to play this game at home despite Rwanda ceding hoe advantage in the previous fixture.
But the Confederation of African Football have ordered the game goes ahead in Rwanda next Saturday September 9. Already qualified with 13 points, Senegal have therefore decided to send their B team to the game and keep their first-choice players for the friendly match against Algeria in Dakar on September.
The 31-man squad for the clash in Rwanda includes 15 locally based players and will be led by coaches Pape Bouna Thiaw and Malick Daf.
It includes the 15-year-old Amara Diouf, who played at the last U-17 Africa Cup of Nations and at the Francophonie Games in July. He was chosen as the best player at the U-17 Cup of Nations.
There are several European-based players in the squad, giving uncapped players a chance to stake a claim ahead of the Cup of Nations finals in the Ivory Coast next January.
The Belgian-based trio of Papa Demba Diop, Cheikh Oumar Ndiaye and Diop Papa Mamadou are joined by Souleymane Basse from Valenciennes in France, Mamadou Sane of Cypriot champions Aris Limassol ands Swiss-based midfielder Samba Lele Diba.
Among the forwards, there is Papa Amadou Diallo and Cheikh Tidiane Sabaly from Ligue 1 club Metz, Samba Diallo of Ukraine’s Dynamo Kiev and Souleymane Faye, a 20-year-old on loan at Real Betis in Spain.
It is the usual suspects plus a first call-up for French-based defender Abdoulaye Niakhaté Ndiaye, who steps up from the under-23 side, and midfielder Lamine Camara.
SQUAD TO RWANDA
Goalkeepers: Abdoualye Diakhate (Diaraf Dakar), Marco Diouf (Teungueth), Prince Aly Guete (Stade Mbour), Papa Mamadou Sy (Seraing, Belgium)
Defenders: Souleymane Basse (Valenciennes, France), Mohamed Camara (Casa Sport), Ousmane Diouf (Al Hilal, Sudan), Junior Marc Mendy (Guediawaye), Cheikh Oumar Ndiaye (Seraing, Belgium), Mamadou Sane (Aris Limassol, Cyprus), Woula Massire Sane (Stade Mbour), Seydou Sano (Al Gharafa, Qatar), Cheikh Tidiane Sidibe (Azam, Tanzania), Mouhamed Welle (Diaraf Dakar),
Midfielders: Lamine Camara (Renaissance Berkane, Morocco), Samba Lele Diba (Servette Geneva, Switzerland), Papa Demba Diop (Zulte Waregem, Belgium), Daouda Diongue (Darou Salam), Ousmane Kane (AS Douanes), Moussa Ndiaye (Diaraf Dakar), Alpha Amadou Toure (Generation Foot)
Forwards: Papa Amadou Diallo (Metz, France), Samba Diallo (Dynamo Kiev, Ukraine), Amara Diouf (Generation Foot), Cheikh Ibra Diouf (Guediawaye), Souleymane Faye (Real Betis, Spain), Idrissa Gueye (Generation Foot), Pape Berth Mboup (Diaraf Dakar), Bouly Junior Sambou (Wydad Casablanca, Morocco), Cheikh Tidiane Sabaly (Metz, France), Ibrahima Seck (US Goree).
SQUAD v ALGERIA
Goalkeepers: Mory Diaw (Clermont Foot, France), Seny Dieng (Queens Park Rangers, England), Edouard Mendy (Al Ahly Jeddah, Saudi Arabia)
Defenders: Abdou Diallo (Al Arabi, Qatar), Ismail Jakobs (Monaco, France), Kalidou Koulibaly (Al Hilal, Saudi Arabia), Formose Mendy (Lorient, France), Abdoulaye Niakhaté Ndiaye (Troyes, France), Abdallah Ndour (En Avant Guingamp, France), Moussa Niakhate (Nottingham Forest, England), Youssouf Sabaly (Real Betis, Spain), Abdoulaye Seck (Maccabi Haifa, Israel)
Midfielders: Lamine Camara (Metz, France), Pathe Ciss (Rayo Vallecano, Spain), Krepin Diatta (Monaco, France), Idrissa Gana Gueye (Everton, England), Cheikhou Kouyate (Nottingham Forest, England), Dion Lopy (Almeria, Spain), Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham Hotspur, England)
Forwards: Boulaye Dia (Salernitana, Italy), Habib Diallo (Al Shabab, Saudi Arabia), Nicholas Jackson (Chelsea, England), Sadio Mane (Al Nassr, Saudi Arabia), Iliman Ndiaye, Ismailia Sarr (both Olympique de Marseille, France).