There is a general feeling that African champions Senegal will perform incredibly well in the 2022 FIFA World Cup despite the absence of their main man, Sadio Mane. It is an open secret that the Senegalese technical bench heavily relies on the Bayern Munich star to not only open up defenses and scoring goals but also, inspiring the his colleagues to mine out positive results.Mane whose heart for the less fortunate in the society and his modest lifestyle has procured him love from all over the world will miss the global showpiece thanks to an injury he picked two weeks ago while in action against Werder Bremen.##NAJAVA_MECA_6824831##However, Teranga Lions boast of big names in their squad who have the mettle to match any team in the world thanks to the experience garnered in playing in the top leagues in Europe.In every other big tournament the West African nation has played, the bench has always given young and new players a chance and it is safe to conclude that a budding player will surface in Qatar and try to fit the big shoes left the boy from Bambali.Senegal who will be making their second successive appearance in the quadrennial tournament for the first time are among the favourities to pull out of group A and advance to the knockout stages.The Aliou Cisse coached side that will be making the fourth appearance in the tournament is pool in group A with the 2010 edition’s losing finalist Netherlands, hosts Qatar and Ecuador.The team arrived in Doha earlier in the week with the sole ambition of bettering their best record achieved in the 2002 edition held jointly by Japan and South Korea where they punched above their weights and reached to the quarter-finals.Kenyan players at Fountain Gate in TZ accuse club of neglecting themBefore then, the African kings are fully aware of the painful group stage exit in the 2018 edition where lost the bid to advance to the round of sixteen on fair play tiebreaker rules after sharing identical tally with Japan.To avoid a repeat of a similar scenario, the team ought to get it right in the three group stage matchesCan they sail to the knockout stages?This is the biggest question that is lingering in the minds of millions of fans and pundits. Senegal needs to win at least two matches and avoid a defeat so as to sail without, as local fans say ‘consulting their calculators’.Are the three teams beatable? Certainly they are if the quality of players and FIFA rankings are anything to go by. For a team that has featured in the tournament in three editions shouldn’t struggle to reach the knockout stages given that most of its players are at their peaks.Coach Cisse has been at the helm since 2015 and over the years, the former international has enjoyed immense support and goodwill from the Senegalese government as well as his fellow legends that have been publicly backing him especially when criticism is directed his way.Miheso signs new deal at Kenya Police FCThe Senegalese government coughed up to 2.6 billion shillings to support the team. Each team will receive at least 1.3 billion for making an appearance in Qatar.The dreadlocked gaffer who won the Africa Cup of Nations has one assignment- to take the team past the group stages, a feat he narrowly missed in Russia four years ago. He skippered the team back in 2002, a year they shocked the then word champions Furnace and went on to reach the quarters.RecordsThe African champions have participated in three editions with the 2002 one being their best.The team has played eight matches, winning three, sharing spoils in a similar number of matches and lost twice.The team that is ranked 18th on the global log have scored eleven goals in the eight matches played in the three editions they have participated in.FixturesThe Teranga Lions will play Netherlands on Monday at the Al Thumana Stadium before confronting Qatar four days later at the same venue. They will wrap their pool matches against Ecuador on Novembers 29 with this fixture being set for the Khalifa International Stadium.
