Senegal resume their quest to retain their Africa Cup of Nations crown as they take on Mozambique at the Stade Me Abdoulaye Wade in Group L of the qualifiers on Friday.
This will be the first of what promises to be an exciting double-header between the two nations who are currently separated by just two points at the top of the group standings.
Match preview
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It has been a period of footballing success for Senegal as they picked up gold in January's Africa Nations Championship for home-based players hosted in Algeria.
Having finished top of Group B, the West African side claimed successive 1-0 victories over Mauritania and Madagascar to reach their first-ever final before edging out the host nation on penalties after a pulsating 120 minutes.
Prior to that, Senegal's last competitive outing came in the round of 16 of the 2022 FIFA World Cup on December 4 where they were thrashed 3-0 by England courtesy of goals from Jordan Henderson, Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka.
Having clinched the elusive AFCON title last February when they edged out Egypt on penalties in the final, the task at hand for manager Aliou Cisse will be to guide his side in retaining the continental crown.
The Lions of Teranga have already kicked off this quest on the front pedal, claiming two wins from their opening two qualifying outings as they edged out Benin and Rwanda to rise to the top of Group L.
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It was a slow start for Mozambique, meanwhile, as Stanley Ratifo's 67th-minute effort could only help them salvage a 1-1 draw against Rwanda on home soil in last June's qualifying opener.
However, they bounced back a little under one week later as they battled for a 1-0 win over Benin at the Stade de l'Amitie courtesy of a first-half strike from Sporting Lisbon man Geny Catamo.
Since their victory over the Squirrels, Chiquinho Conde's men have struggled for results, claiming just three wins in their subsequent 12 matches across all competitions while suffering five defeats in that time.
Most recently, Mozambique reached the quarter-finals of the 2022 Africa Nations Championship before losing 3-1 against Madagascar, with Isac only managing a 94th-minute consolation.
While the Mambas will be looking to leapfrog Senegal in Group L and stake their claim for a first AFCON appearance since 2010, they are winless in five of their last six away matches, losing three and claiming two draws since July 2022.
They have also managed just two draws and lost five of their last seven games against Friday's hosts and will be looking to avoid extending their winless run to eight consecutive matches since the side's first encounter in March 1986.
Team News
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Senegal head into the double-header with a host of talents scattered across all departments of the pitch, including the likes of Kalidou Koulibaly, Sadio Mane and Everton man Idrissa Gueye.
While Mane will be the main man in the attacking third, Koulibaly will once again marshall the backline, alongside Youssouf Sabaly, while 23-year-old Ismail Jakobs will be looking to impress.
At the centre of the park, Krepin Diatta, who has two goals in 29 international appearances, should be handed a starting role, alongside Gueye and Sevilla's Pape Gueye, who is closing in on his 20th senior cap.
Domingues currently sits at the top of Mozambique's all-time appearance chart with 97 caps to his name and the 39-year-old will be looking to add to his 16-goal tally this weekend.
Twenty-two-year-old Catamo, who is currently on loan at Maritimo from Sporting Lisbon, boasts 16 international appearances and should lead the attack once again, alongside Honka striker Clesio Bauque.
Senegal possible starting lineup:
Gomis; Fadiga, Sabaly, Koulibaly, Seck; I Gueye, P Gueye, Diatta; Dieng, Dia, Mane
Mozambique possible starting lineup:
Guambe; Chico, Dove, Mexer, Zainadine; Domingues, Kambala, Shaquille; Carvalho, Bauque, Catamo
We say: Senegal 2-0 Mozambique
With their recent performances and results, Senegal have shown they are more than capable of getting the job done. The Lions of Teranga take on a Mozambique side 95 places below them in the latest FIFA World Rankings and we do not fancy any upset occurring at the Stade Me Abdoulaye Wade.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Joshua Ojele
