Senegal coach Aliou Cisse has named five uncapped players in his 23-man squad for the Teranga Lions’ 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Madagascar next month.
Cisse has included France-born goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, defender Pape Abu Cisse, Sidy Sarr as well as forwards Amath Ndiaye and Mbaye Diagne in his squad.
The fixture, on 9 September in Antananarivo, will be Senegal’s first since their early exit from the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Senegal narrowly failed to get past the group stage despite opening with a 2-1 win over Poland, before being held 2-2 by Japan and then losing 1-0 to Colombia.
Seven players from the World Cup squad have been omitted including first-choice goalkeeper Khadim Ndiaye.
Pape Alioune Ndiaye, Kara Mbodj, Mame Diouf and Diafra Sakho are also missing and Moussa Wagué is injured, while Moussa Sow has retired from international duty.
Ibrahima Mbaye and Opa Nguette have both earned recalls, while experienced star quintet of Sadio Mané, Kalidou Koulibaly, Idrissa Gueye, Keita Baldé and Mbaye Niang complete the strong squad.
Senegal began their campaign to qualify for the 2019 Nations Cup in Cameroon with a comfortable 3-0 home win to visiting Equatorial Guinea in June last year.
The West Africans are currently top of Group A on goal difference after second-placed Madagascar managed a 3-1 win in Sudan.
The top two from the four-team pool will qualify for next year’s finals.
Senegal squad:
Goalkeepers: Abdoulaye Diallo (Rennes, France), Alfred Gomis (SPAL, Italy), Edouard Mendy (Reims, France).
Defenders: Ibrahima Mbaye (Bologna, Italy), Pape Abdou Cissé (Olympiakos, Greece), Lamine Gassama (Göztepe, Turkey), Adama Mbengue (Caen, France), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli, Italy), Salif Sané (Schalke, Germany), Youssouf Sabaly (Bordeaux, France)
Midfielders: Cheikhou Kouyaté (Crystal Palace, England), Sidy Sarr (Châteauroux, France), Idrissa Gana Gueye (Everton, England), Cheikh Ndoye (Angers, France), Alfred Ndiaye (Malaga, Spain)
Forwards: Mbaye Niang (Torino, Italy), Ismaïla Sarr (Rennes, France), Keita Baldé (Inter Milan, Italy), Moussa Konaté (Amiens, France), Mbaye Diagne (Kasimpasa, Turkey), Sadio Mané (Liverpool, England), Opa Nguette (Metz, France), Amath Ndiaye (Getafe, Spain)
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