Kalidou Koulibaly finds himself on the bench for Senegal’s upcoming match against Iraq. The former defender for Napoli and Chelsea, now playing for Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia, had a difficult outing against Norway.
“Every ball I touched went wrong,” he admitted following that performance.
As a result, he will not be starting in this crucial game.
“Hi Daniel, Not to be too pedantic, and maybe this belongs to a rival podcast of Football Weekly, but can we describe Senegal as being neighbors of either Morocco, Cote D’Ivoire or South Africa when they don’t share a border with any of them?
“capable of doing something that will shock the world”
Thanks, John. As someone from Africa myself, I feel a strong connection to other African nations. While my compatriots in South Africa might not be displaying much of the Ubuntu spirit right now, I’d like to believe it still exists. And what constitutes a border between nations, anyway? Are we not all neighbors on this big rock floating in space?
Neither Senegal nor Iraq has managed to keep a clean sheet thus far, although it’s worth noting they both faced formidable opponents in Haaland and Mbappe.
For Senegal, securing at least two goals is essential. A goal difference of -1 could potentially allow them to advance to the last 32.
Senegal’s lineup features a 4-3-3 formation: Mory Diaw; Abdoulaye Seck, Ismail Jakobs, Krepin Diatta, Moussa Niakhate; Idrissa Gana Gueye, Lamine Camara, Habib Diarra; Sadio Mane, Ismaila Sarr, Ibrahim Mbaye. Iraq also employs a 4-3-3 setup: Ahmed Basil; Rebin Sulaka, Akam Hashim, Mechas Doski, Frans Putros; Ibrahim Bayesh, Zidane Iqbal, Amir Alammari; Ali Jasim, Ahmed Qasem, Ali Alhamadi.
This week has been particularly positive for African football.
South Africa has reached the knockouts of a World Cup for the first time, while Morocco showcased their potential with an impressive victory. Additionally, Côte d’Ivoire finished level on points with Germany to qualify in second place from a challenging group.
All of this has occurred despite some questionable remarks that undermine the tactical intelligence and skill present on the continent.
A win today could see Senegal join their African counterparts in the knockout stage. Though they enter this match without a point, having lost to France and Norway, the African champions have demonstrated flashes of their quality during those games.
Securing a victory against Iraq would elevate them to three points and improve their current goal difference of -3. Currently, Senegal sits outside the top eight of third-placed teams, but with a favorable outcome, they could surpass Scotland and South Korea. According to Opta, Senegal has a 56.62% likelihood of progressing to the next round.
However, winning is paramount. Iraq will come into this match organized and full of passion. Coach Graham Arnold previously stated that his team was “capable of doing something that will shock the world.” A victory over one of Africa’s top teams would certainly accomplish that.
The match is set to kick off at Toronto Stadium at 8pm BST/3pm local time.
Further updates, including team lineups, will follow.
