BRAZIL TEST FOR SENEGAL

MBABANE – Senegal have lined up a tough friendly match against five-time world champions Brazil ahead of their game against Sihlangu.

The ‘Lions of Teranga’, who visit Sihlangu for a 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier in the period November 11-19, 2019, will lock horns with Brazil next Thursday in Singapore. According to a correspondence from various sites that include BBC and Goal.com, England’s Liverpool star Sadio Mane and Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly will lead Senegal’s 23-man team for their international friendly match against the South American soccer heavyweights.

“The 2019 Africa Cup of Nations runners-up will face the South American heavyweights for the first time at the senior level on October 10 at the Singapore National Stadium.

“The encounter will be Senegal’s first outing since their 1-0 loss to Algeria at the AFCON final in Egypt and a preparatory game ahead of their 2021 AFCON qualifiers against Congo Brazzaville and Eswatini in November,” read the correspondence in part.

In the selection, Senegal coach Aliou Cisse recalled Bristol City’s Famara Diedhiou, Metz forward Habib Diallo, Angers’ Pape Djibril Diaw, Nimes’ Sidy Sarr, Nice’s Racine Coly and Porto’s Mamadou Loum Ndiaye to the national team.

“The choice of this 23-man squad is to prepare for the future, while keeping a core balance of the team.
“Our ambition is to win, but the major satisfaction that matters the most is that Senegal will play against a top-ranked nation (Brazil), and the players will compete against quality players,” Cisse was quoted saying.

Sihlangu coach Kostadin Papic said they would also love to also play tougher opposition as part of the preparations if funds would be available.
Eswatini Football Association (EFA) Marketing and Communications Officer Muzi Radebe said the focus was now on the decisive African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifier against Zambia on October 19. Sihlangu trail by a solitary goal and need to overturn the deficit in the return match to qualify for the CHAN finals.

“We can’t say anything about the AFCON qualifiers, as our focus is on the Zambia match at this stage,” he said briefly when asked on friendly matches for the national team.

Meanwhile, it will be a perfect preparation for Senegal before the AFCON qualifying campaign, as their players’ resolve will be tested against some of the world’s superstars. Brazil stars include Casemiro (Real Madrid), Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain), Roberto Firmino (Liverpool) and Philippe Coutinho (Bayern Munich), among others.

Sihlangu’s journey to the AFCON finals to be staged in Cameroon in 2021 will begin against Guinea Bissau early in November before the Senegal test a few days later. Another team in the same qualifying group as Papic’s men is Congo. The group winners and runners-up at the end of qualifying campaign late next year will get a ticket to Africa’s flagship football tournament.

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