UFOA TOURNAMENT: SENEGAL WANTS TO CONSOLE ITSELF WITH THE TITLE

Excluded from qualifying for the 2014 World Cup despite a commendable performance in the last round of qualifiers, Senegal is determined to make amends in the third edition of the UFOA B tournament. President of the Senegalese football federation, Me Augustin Senghor, is reported to have urged the local Lions to return with the trophy, according to a source close to the federation cited by APS.

The task ahead won’t be an easy one for Senegal, as they find themselves in Group A alongside Togo, the defending champions, Niger, and Gabon, an uncertain guest in this edition. The Senegalese delegation set out from Dakar on Tuesday for Kumasi.

The tournament, hosted by Ghana, will kick off on November 21 with Ghana facing Sierra Leone in the opening match. Group B will witness Benin taking on Burkina Faso. Benin’s team has bolstered its squad with players like Junior Salomon, Jodel Dossou, Garel Sossa, and Fadel Suanon, all playing for African clubs.

The 18 selected players for Senegal include Ousmane Mané (Diambars), Pape Seydou Ndiaye (As Douanes), Mamadou Mbodji (Dakar Sacré-Cœur), Cheikh Wade (As Pikine), Ousseynou Thioune (Diambars), Mbaye Thylor Seck (Linguère), Dominique Mendy (Casa Sports), Jacques Mathias Tendeng (Dakar Sacré-Cœur), and Youssou Diop, among others.