While Arne Slot seems to think that Liverpool's starting line-up is stronger without Mohamed Salah, the winger has been conspicuous by his absence in recent weeks, with the Reds struggling to score goals without their talisman. It's clear that they need their Egyptian King back at Anfield as quickly as possible. Salah, though, is desperate to extend his stay at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. Indeed, he's not even attempting to hide just how much the tournament means to him.
Senegal forward Nicolas Jackson is being backed to win the Golden Boot award at AFCON 2025 after kicking off his campaign with a brace in a 3-0 win over Botswana in Group D on Tuesday. The Chelsea forward, who is currently on loan at Bayern Munich, was the star of the show as the Lions of Teranga made a victorious start to the tournament in Morocco.
In Europe, much of the build-up to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations has unfortunately - but inevitably - focused on which clubs will be most affected by the tournament's scheduling in the middle of the season. As an incredibly prestigious tournament that rarely fails to deliver a barely-believable amount of drama, the AFCON deserves so much better.
The USMNT will play Senegal on May 31 in its second-to-last World Cup warmup friendly, U.S. soccer announced Thursday morning. The 19th-ranked African side will travel to Charlotte, North Carolina to face off Mauricio Pochettino's side, a week before the U.S. host Germany in Chicago. The two teams have never played in an international competition.
The World Cup 2026 draw has been made, with England set to face Croatia in the group stages, and the USMNT to take on Australia. Brazil have been drawn with Morocco, while France will play Senegal and Argentina must face Austria.
Como winger Assane Diao is in line to be called up to the Senegal national team for the Africa Cup of Nations, but Cesc Fabregas wants him to stay at the Serie A side for the time being. The 20-year-old has been limited to just four appearances in the Italian top-flight this season, sparking the coach to claim his involvement at AFCON is "illogical".
Stunning first-half goals from Casemiro and Estevao capped a rampant display from Carlo Ancelotti's Brazil side in a 2-0 win over Senegal at the Emirates Stadium. The Chelsea youngster opened the scoring with a curled effort, before the veteran midfielder doubled the lead with a delectable touch and finish. However, there was bad news for the Gunners fans in attendance, as Gabriel limped off on the hour with what looked like a serious injury.
Premier League cult hero Papiss Cisse endured the worst 60 seconds of his career while playing in a Sunday League clash for Wythenshawe FC Vets in the Cheshire Veterans Football League. Cisse, who formerly represented Newcastle United in the English top tier and the Senegal national team, now plies his trade for the non-league side.
Senegal
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