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Looking to place a bet on Senegal at the 2018 World Cup? You have come to the right place. This page provides a comprehensive wrap of all things Senegal for the World Cup of Soccer: result history, statistical analysis, future matches and most importantly, the best odds and lines from a variety of top online sportsbooks. Review tournament performance, plan for upcoming fixtures and place your wager with confidence right here.
Senegal’s World Cup 2022 Standings
Senegal is the second team in Group H, which also includes Poland, Colombia and Japan. Below you will find their current tournament standings, updated after every matchday.
Senegal’s Odds To Win The World Cup
Senegal may have been absent from the World Cup since 2002, however, they look to have a team that could once again make it to the Round of 16. While the Africans are priced as firm outsiders to win the entire tournament as you would expect (+13900), the big question is whether or not they can progress from a Group H containing Poland, Colombia and Japan.
Sports Interaction has listed Senegal as a better chance to miss out on the second round, priced at odds of -182. However, if you believe they can make it through to the knockout stages, a very tempting +140 is on offer. We believe that Senegal will emerge, and therefore recommend a bet on them to qualify from Group H at that price.
The chances of Senegal equalling their first tournament performance appear quite slim, as progress to the second round will likely result in a match against Belgium or England in the Round of 16. If you agree that Senegal will be eliminated at this stage of the World Cup, Sports Interaction is offering +240, although if you think they can go further, you will get +500 for Senegal to reach the quarters and +1400 to reach the semi-finals.
Regardless of their performance, there is no doubt that Senegal will be an exciting team to watch at the 2018 World Cup, so make sure you get your wager in and join the ride.
Senegal’s Squad & Key Players
All teams must declare a 30 man squad for the World Cup by the middle of May, while the final 23 man squads don’t have to be finalized until the first week of June, just days prior to the tournament start date. We will update you when the team sheets are announced, but first, let’s take a look at some of the most important players in the Senegalese team and who we think will play a big part in the competition.
Sadio Mane (Winger / Forward)
The undisputed star of the Senegalese team would have won the CAF African Player of the Year award if it wasn’t for the outstanding form of his Liverpool teammate Mo Salah. His performances for the Premier League giants have been sensational ever since his arrival from Southampton, where he also starred and scored the fastest Premier League hat trick of all time.
Mane’s lightning pace, excellent ball control and quality finishing make him a lethal attacking player, and in his current form will be a defender’s nightmare at the World Cup.
Cheikhou Kouyate (Defender)
West Ham’s lanky talisman is the captain of the Senegal team and is inspirational in a defensive midfielder or central defensive role. His greatest attribute is his ability to break down attacks and send his attacking teammates down the pitch in the blink of an eye, so his link-up play with Sadio Mane will be important. Kouyate is a relatively young captain, with just 39 caps under his belt, although his leadership in the group is unquestioned.
Idrissa Gueye (Midfielder)
There is certainly a theme of African defensive midfielders in the Premier League, and Everton’s Idrissa Gueye is another outstanding performer. In the same mould as two-time EPL champion N’golo Kante, Gueye is perfectly suited to a pressing style of play and his work rate is incredible. He has already made 46 appearances for his country and will be important to Senegal’s chances of success.
The Coach – Aliou Cisse
Cisse made 153 senior appearances for various teams in France and England between 1994 and 2009 and also turned out for the Senegalese national team on 35 occasions. Cisse was captain of the squad that shocked the world in 2002 and will draw heavily on that experience when he leads out his nation of birth to their second World Cup.
Cisse’s entire managerial career has been centred around the Senegalese national setup, starting as an assistant in the U23 side and going on to lead them between 2013 and 2015. He became the head coach of the national senior team in 2015, and has seen the side make the quarter-finals of the African Cup of Nations in 2017, and also qualify for the 2018 World Cup.
Senegal’s World Cup 20122 Lineup
Senegal’s latest internationals were played against South Africa on November 10th and 14th, 2017. Senegal secured qualification with the first of the two matches, so we will take a look at that lineup as we try to envision the likely first team in Russia.
Starting Lineup (4-3-3)
N’Diaye (Horoya) – Youssouf Sabaly (Bordeaux), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli), Cheikhou Kouyate (West Ham United), Lamine Gassama (Alanyaspor) – Idriss Gueye (Everton), Salif Sane (Hannover 96), Cheikh Ndoye (Birmingham City) – M’Baye Niang (Torino), Sakho (West Ham United), Sadio Mane (Liverpool).
Reserves: F Diagne, M Sow, A N’Diaye, S Ciss, C Piop, P Konate, P Ndiaye, K Balde Diao, A Gomis, A Diousse, M Wague, A Mbengue.
Senegal’s World Cup History
Senegal has been eligible to qualify for the world’s greatest sporting event since 1970, although they were not successful in qualifying for the tournament for over thirty years. When the final CAF qualification group was announced leading up to the 2002 World Cup, few would have predicted Senegal would be the ones to progress to their first-ever competition, although that is exactly what happened.
Group C in the 2002 African World Cup qualifiers contained Morocco, Egypt and Algeria – three teams that had previously been to the final tournament. Only the top team would book their trip to Japan and South Korea, and prior to the final round of fixtures, there were three teams still in with a shot: Morocco, Egypt and Senegal who were on 15, 12 and 12 points respectively on July 21st, 2001.
Morocco had blown their chance to qualify in their final game, played one week prior to this date. A single point in their match against the Senegalese would have seen them through, however, Senegal won 1-0 to set up an intense final matchday. Egypt played against Algeria in Annaba, while Senegal travelled to Namibia, and goal difference would likely be the difference if both teams won. As it turned out, Egypt could only manage a draw, while Senegal’s 5-0 win allowed them to leapfrog Morocco and claim their first-ever World Cup appearance.
When the draw for the 2002 World Cup was announced, Senegalese fans must have thought their team was no chance of progressing to the second round. Pitted against defending champions France, two-time winners Uruguay and Denmark, it looked as though Senegal’s first foray into the tournament would be a short one, although as history shows, this was not the case at all.
In the very first match of the tournament, in front of over 60,000 people in Seoul, South Korea, Senegal produced one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history when they beat the French 1-0. The result was even more satisfying considering Senegal was a former French colony, and also due to the fact that the majority of the Senegalese squad played in French Ligue 1 teams.
Senegal came from behind to draw level with Denmark in their second game, then missed a golden opportunity to top Group A when they flew out to a 3-0 half time lead over Uruguay. A second-half fightback saw the match squared at 3-3, although the point was enough for Senegal to finish second in the group and reach the Round of 16 on their first attempt.
Finishing second proved to be a blessing as they avoided England and instead faced Sweden in the second round. An early goal for the Swedes was cancelled out by Henri Camara just before half time, before a second goal by the Senegalese forward in extra time saw the Africans progress to the quarter-finals. In their match against Turkey, Senegal must have surely fancied a trip to the final four, however, they were bundled out in extra time.
Senegal progressed from their 2018 qualification group with ease and will go into their second tournament with plenty of confidence considering they have been placed in a group lacking one of the giant nations. Against Poland, Colombia and Japan, they will back themselves to succeed, and could well go on another run into the latter stages of the tournament.
