Mane absent as Senegal announce March squad for Peru and Gambia friendlies

Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw has revealed his squad for the March international break, as the Lions of Teranga prepare for two friendly matches against Peru and Gambia.

Senegal will face Peru on March 28 in Paris, before taking on Gambia on March 31, in fixtures aimed at fine-tuning the team ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Squad Breakdown

Goalkeepers:
Edouard Mendy (Al Ahli), Yehvann Diouf (Nice), Mory Diaw (Le Havre).

Defenders:
Kalidou Koulibaly (Al Hilal), Moussa Niakhaté (Lyon), El Hadji Malick Diouf (West Ham), Krépin Diatta (Monaco), Mamadou Sarr (Chelsea), Ismail Jakobs (Galatasaray), Antoine Mendy (Nice), Abdoulaye Seck (Maccabi Haifa), Noble Mendy (Rayo Vallecano).

Midfielders:
Idrissa Gueye (Everton), Lamine Camara (Monaco), Habib Diarra (Sunderland), Pape Gueye (Villarreal), Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham), Pape Cissé (Rayo Vallecano).

Forwards:
Nicolas Jackson (Bayern Munich), Ismaila Sarr (Crystal Palace), Boulaye Dia (Lazio), Chérif Ndiaye (Samsunspor), Bamba Dieng (Lorient), Iliman Ndiaye (Everton), Habib Diallo (Metz), Ibrahima Mbaye (Paris Saint-Germain), Mamadou Diachoune (Club Brugge), Assane Diao (Como).

Mane Left Out

The most notable absence from the squad is Sadio Mane, the Al Nassr star, who has not been included in the March camp.

World Cup 2026

Senegal are gearing up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where they have been drawn into Group I alongside France and Norway, with one more team set to join via the playoffs.

The upcoming friendlies will provide an important opportunity for coach Thiaw to assess his squad and test combinations to use the best plans possible to use in the World Cup.

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