Senegal: Scholar Set to Lead Beach Lions

When Ngalla Sylla and goalkeeper Seyni Ndiaye participate in the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Portugal in July, they will become the first African footballers to play in five world championships. Although several other players, like the Brazilian beach soccer legends Bruno and Mao have, or will be, appearing in their seventh finals, the two Senegalese players' achievement remains remarkable. "The secret is simple," captain Sylla tells FIFA.com. "I lead a very healthy lifestyle and have a lot of recovery after workouts."

The defender first played for Les Lions in the 2007 finals in Brazil, when the west Africans appeared on the global stage for the first time. He has since been in the squad every time they have qualified for the showpiece event of beach soccer and is now looking forward to Portugal, where the team has been drawn into Group A, where they will face the hosts, Japan and Argentina.

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