Preview: Senegal vs Sudan – prediction, team news, lineups KIK BALL

In what is shaping up to be the tightest battle for a 2026 World Cup ticket in CAF qualifying, Senegal welcome fellow contenders Sudan on Friday to Diamniadio Olympic Stadium for round seven.

The two sides are locked on 12 points in Group B, just one adrift of leaders DR Congo, with the Lions of Teranga holding second place on goal difference.

Match preview

While Senegal remain firmly in the running in what has become a three-horse race for automatic qualification, their journey has been underwhelming, largely due to their inability to find consistency.

The continent’s number one ranked side have struggled to turn stalemates into victories, recording three wins and as many draws from their six matches so far.

Senegal’s campaign began with a ruthless triumph over South Sudan, only for their momentum to be checked by successive draws against Togo and Sudan.

The Lions of Teranga briefly regained momentum with a slender win over Mauritania, but that did little to alter the perception of a campaign already tainted by a poor AFCON earlier in the year, costing long-serving coach Aliou Cisse his job in October.

Under Pape Thiaw there has been little change in fortunes, with the side managing a goalless draw against Sudan before beating Mauritania 2-0 in March World Cup preliminaries.

Senegal have found the net eight times and conceded only once in the qualifiers, and the one-time AFCON champions are currently among the best four runners-up in line for a playoff spot.     

However, anything less than victory on Friday could see them slip out of that bracket, and with friendlies in June yielding a draw against Ireland and a win over England, Senegal know that tougher challenges lie ahead. 

In a set of fixtures that could decide whether they grace the global stage for the fourth time in their history, Thiaw’s men face leaders DR Congo just days after this encounter with a Sudan side who have proven a stubborn obstacle in recent meetings.

Both teams clashed in the third-place playoff of the African Nations Championship barely a week ago, with Senegal needing penalties to prevail, meaning they have now gone three games against Sudan without winning in regulation time.

It has not been a straightforward fixture for the Falcons of Jediane either, who are yet to beat the Lions of Teranga in their previous six attempts, losing three while only managing to score once during that period.

Sudan, though, have proved their mettle in this qualifying campaign, going unbeaten in six matches with three victories and three draws to keep themselves firmly in contention.

Their progress has been powered by an attack that has struck eight times, though much of the credit belongs to their resilient defence that has conceded just twice.

James Kwesi Appiah’s men remain in pursuit of a first-ever World Cup appearance, but they face a rocky path ahead, with three of their remaining four matches to be played on the road.

Following Friday’s trip to Dakar, Sudan visit Togo four days later before concluding their campaign in October with a home tie against Mauritania and a decisive clash away at DR Congo.

Senegal World Cup Qualifying – Africa form:

Senegal form (all competitions):

Sudan World Cup Qualifying – Africa form:

Sudan form (all competitions):

Team News

Thiaw has assembled a 26-man squad for the doubleheader against Sudan and DR Congo, blending familiar names with a handful of fresh inclusions.

Al Nassr forward Sadio Mane makes his return after missing June’s camp, while Paris FC centre-back Moustapha Mbow has been rewarded with a first call-up.

Kalidou Koulibaly would once again marshal the backline, and Nicolas Jackson, fresh from his loan switch to Bayern Munich, also features.

Sudan head coach Appiah has likewise named 26 players, with midfielders Abdel Raouf and Salah Adel retained after their involvement at the African Nations Championship.

Goalkeeper Mohamed Mustafa, who last featured in the draw with South Sudan, where he was replaced in the 57th minute, has been omitted.

This opens the door for either Munjed Alnil or Muhamed Alnour Abouja to start between the sticks, while Abdallah Adam remains the third-choice option without a senior cap.

Senegal possible starting lineup:

Mendy; Diatta, Niakhate, Koulibaly, Diouf; H Diarra, I Gueye, P M Sarr; Mane, Jackson, I Sarr

Sudan possible starting lineup:

Alnil; Khamis, Ering, Karshoum, Zayed; Adel, Khedr, Abdalla, Raouf, A Eisa; Teiri

We say: Senegal 2-0 Sudan

Although Sudan have been resilient in their World Cup journey, Senegal’s pedigree and firepower should see them through, especially on home soil where anything less than victory would be a bitter blow for Africa’s top-ranked side. 

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