Senegal coach Aliou Cisse handed three Europe-based players their first call-ups to the national team for next week's 2023 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations following injuries to some key players in the squad.
The African champions named Italy-based striker Demba Seck of Italian side Torino, Sheffield United attacker Ilimane Ndiaye and Barcelona B right-back Alpha Diounkou in their 25-man squad for next week's matches against Benin and Rwanda.
With the absence of the three players including Bouna Sarr of Bayern Munich, Bamba Dieng of French club Marseille as well as and Mame Baba Thiam of Kayserispor in Turkey has led to the decision to call the three new players.
Dieng and Sarr have not been named in the squad due to injuries but this is not the case for Thiam who is absent thanks to the decision of the coach.
Regarding these three newcomers, it is a promotion for right-back Diounkou who played with Senegal's youth teams, notably at the U20 World Cup in 2019.
Born in Senegal, Diounkou followed his parents who emigrated to Spain. At first, he was recruited by Manchester City of England where he perfected his trade before joining the Catalan youth teams.
The 22-year-old Ndiaye was born in France but he never stopped showing his interest in playing for Senegal after becoming an important player for his club.
Moreover, the new Teranga Lions player spent a few years during his adolescence in Dakar and spent years training at the Dakar Sacre Coeur academy in the country's capital.
Scorer of seven goals for his club this season, Ndiaye arrives to compete for a place in the offensive position where the coach of Senegal is still looking for the rare pearl.
Demba Seck, the other newly invited player is 21 years old but he is still unknown to the supporters of the national team of Senegal.
The striker will compete with established players like captain Sadio Mane and Ismaila Sarr of English side Watford in the attack of the squad.
Several key players that helped the country to win the recent AFCON like goalkeeper Edouard Mendy of Chelsea, Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly and PSG star Idrissa Gana Gueye have been called.
No home-based player was called up for the two matches.
The Teranga Lions will play Benin on June 4 before taking on Rwanda three days later.
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Squad
Goalkeepers: Sény Dieng (Queens Park Rangers, England), Alfred Gomis (Rennes, France), Edouard Mendy (Chelsea, England).
Defenders: Kalidou Koulibaly (Naples, Italy), Saliou Ciss (Nancy, France), Youssouf Sabaly (Bétis, Spain), Abdou Diallo (PSG, France), Pape Abou Cissé (Olympiacos, Greece), Abdoulaye Seck (Antwerp, Belgium) , Fodé Ballo-Touré (AC Milan, Italy), Alpha Diounkou (Barcelona, Spain).
Midfielders: Moustapha Name (Paris FC, France), Idrissa Gana Gueye (PSG, France), Nampalys Mendy (Leicester, England), Mamadou Loum Ndiaye (Levante, Spain), Pape Matar Sarr (FC Metz, France), Cheikhou Kouyaté ( Crystal Palace, England).
Forwards: Sadio Mané (Liverpool, England), keita Baldé (Cagliari, Italy), Ismaila Sarr (Watford, England), Habib Diallo (Strasbourg, France), Ilimane Ndiaye (Sheffiled, England), Famara Diédhiou (Alanyaspor, Turkey), Boulaye Dia (Villareal, Spain), Demba Seck (Torino, Italy).
