Senegal Retains Injury-Hit Players Ahead of Africa Cup of Nations Campaign

Addis Ababa, December 14, 2025 (FMC) — Senegal has included three injury-affected players in its squad for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025, expressing confidence that they will be fit when the tournament begins later this month in Morocco.

Head coach Pape Thiaw on Saturday named Assane Diao, Habib Diarra and Ismaila Sarr in a provisional 28-man squad, despite lingering injury concerns surrounding the trio. Speaking at a press conference, Thiaw said the technical team remains optimistic that all three will recover in time to feature at the continental showpiece.

Diao sustained a thigh injury while playing for Italian Serie A side Como last weekend. Diarra, who plays for Sunderland, underwent groin surgery in September and has not returned to competitive action. Meanwhile, Sarr suffered an ankle ligament injury during Crystal Palace’s 2–1 home defeat to Manchester United on November 30 and has missed his club’s last three matches.

Senegal are drawn in Group D at the finals. They open their campaign against Botswana in Tangier on December 23, before facing Benin and the Democratic Republic of Congo in the group stage.

Squad

Goalkeepers: Mory Diaw (Le Havre), Yehvann Diouf (Nice), Edouard Mendy (Al Ahli)

Defenders: Ilay Camara (Anderlecht), Krepin Diatta (Monaco), El Hadji Malik Diouf (West Ham United), Ismail Jakobs (Galatasaray), Kalidou Koulibaly (Al Hilal), Antoine Mendy (Nice), Moussa Niakhate (Olympique Lyonnais), Mamadou Sarr (Racing Strasbourg), Abdoulaye Seck (Maccabi Haifa)

Midfielders: Lamine Camara (Monaco), Pathe Ciss (Rayo Vallecano), Habib Diarra (Sunderland), Idrissa Gana Gueye (Everton), Pape Gueye (Villarreal), Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham Hotspur)

Forwards: Boulaye Dia (Lazio), Habib Diallo (Metz), Assane Diao (Como), Nicolas Jackson (Bayern Munich), Sadio Mane (Al Nassr), Ibrahim Mbaye (Paris St Germain), Cherif Ndiaye (Samsunspor), Iliman Ndiaye (Everton), Cheikh Sabaly (Metz), Ismaila Sarr (Crystal Palace).

The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, officially titled the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025, is the 35th edition of Africa’s premier international football tournament organised by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

The tournament will take place from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026, marking a shift to a year-end schedule aligned with the global football calendar. A total of 24 national teams will compete across nine stadiums in six Moroccan cities, including Rabat, Tangier, Casablanca, Marrakech, Fez and Agadir.

The competition features six groups of four teams, with the top two sides from each group and the four best third-placed teams advancing to the knockout rounds. The final is scheduled to be played in Rabat.

Morocco is hosting the Africa Cup of Nations for the second time, having last staged the tournament in 1988. Alongside the host nation, established football powers including Senegal, Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria, and defending champions Côte d’Ivoire are expected to be among the main contenders.