Senegal Set to Face South Africa in Friendly After Namibia Victory
Senegal will take on South Africa in a friendly on Tuesday as part of their international schedule, following their confident 2-0 win over Namibia in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers over the weekend.
The fixture offers head coach Aliou Cissé a chance to test the depth of his squad, especially with key players unavailable due to injury. One of the most notable absentees is Idrissa Gana Guèye, who remains sidelined.
With Guèye ruled out, Cissé has been forced to reshuffle his lineup, offering opportunities to several fringe players. Among those stepping into the starting eleven are Diafra Sakho, Issa Cissokho, and Diawandou Diagne, each aiming to make a strong impression ahead of future competitive fixtures.
The Senegalese starting XI for the friendly is as follows:
Cheikh Ndiaye – Issa Cissokho, Z. Touré, Kara Mbodj, Cheikh Mbengue – Diawandou Diagne, Pape Alioune Ndiaye, Papa Kouly Diop – Sadio Mané, Moussa Konaté, Diafra Sakho.
The match will provide Cissé with valuable insights as Senegal prepares for the next stages of AFCON qualification and future international commitments. The friendly also serves as a key test against a South African side looking to rebound from recent underwhelming results.
Senegal currently sits in a strong position in their qualifying group after dispatching Namibia with relative ease. The Lions of Teranga showed solid tactical discipline and attacking intent — qualities Cissé will hope to maintain even with a rotated squad.
