The Africa Cup of Nations is nearly upon us, and as always, it is expected to be a highly competitive affair. At least 4 teams go into the competition with lofty ambitions; anything other than the title would be deemed a failure.
Also Read: 5 reasons why Senegal can win the African Cup of Nations
One of these teams is certainly Senegal, and manager Aliou Cisse has demonstrated their ambition by calling up a strong squad for the tournament. Apart from familiar Premier League names, the squad also features numerous quality players plying their trade in different leagues around Europe.
Here are 5 star names that stand out in their 23 man squad:
#1 Sadio Mane
The pacy Liverpool frontman is undoubtedly the ace in his team's sleeve, with his manager and teammates hoping he can reproduce his stellar Liverpool form at national level. Mane can single-handedly win matches on his day, and if allowed to run riot, can help take his team far.
Strong, pacy and with an eye for goal, his goal against Arsenal on his Liverpool debut serves as a reminder of what Sadio Mane can do to a defence on his day. His performance for Red Bull Salzburg when they thrashed Bayern Munich 3-0 was not so bad either.
Hailed as a bargain even at £34 million, the most expensive African player in history has what it takes to be the difference maker in an even contest.
#2 Kalidou Koulibaly
Linked with a big money move to Chelsea in the summer, Koulibaly ticks all the boxes to be a dominating centre back – tall, strong and tough tackling with impeccable positioning sense. Playing an important role in a defence that conceded just 32 goals in 2015-16, the Senegalese back four would be looking up to him as a leader figure in the heart of the defence.
He is expected to live up to the hype – after all, few people have a better eye for a good defender than Antonio Conte, and someone whom he deemed worth around £50 million can hardly be a novice. The prospect of earning a big money switch with a string of solid performances would also be highly appealing to the young defender.
His positioning and tactical awareness have improved leaps and bounds over the past couple of seasons, and now would be a good time to demonstrate that he can improve upon his folly of committing unnecessary fouls, and take his game to the next level.
#3 Idrissa Gueye
When Everton made a great start to the season, Gueye was one of the most widely praised players; his physical presence and reading of the game having equipped the Everton midfield to stand up to challenges that Martinez's midfield shied away from.
Even set against the backdrop of Everton's current patchy run, hardly any blame falls upon Gueye; he is still the Premier League player with the highest number of tackles to his name (stat courtesy PL official site). Having put his Aston Villa woes behind him, Gueye seems to be enjoying football again – and when he does, his opponents generally don’t.
Most successful teams have an all-conquering midfield general in their ranks – and that is who Idrissa Gueye could potentially be for Senegal.
#4 Cheikhou Kouyate
Captaining this promising side, Kouyate would be hoping to strike up a solid partnership with Gueye in the middle of the pitch. His energy, leadership and ball-winning qualities will have to be at their best to help Senegal achieve their ambitions.
If he could replicate his late surges into the box and aggressive pressing from 2015-16 season for West Ham, he could be one of the key players for this Senegal side.
Back in October, Kouyate had some stern words for his manager Slaven Bilic, suggesting that his national team boss was closer to the players and better at motivating them. Here is Kouyate's chance to prove that his dip in form for West Ham was indeed down to the manager's limitations – a strong showing in this tournament would serve to silence his detractors.
#5 Moussa Sow
Often linked with a move to Premier League teams, the dream move never quite materialised for Moussa Sow, but he has still managed to get his name often in British newspaper headlines, with an overhead kick goal against Manchester United quickly followed by a similar one against Rizespor in the league.
In fact, back in November, the Fenerbache official club store released a shirt with Sow's name and shirt number printed upside down! A knack for audacious goals aside, consistency is what held Sow back even during his peak years - and he would be the first to tell you that if his goals were to lead Senegal all the way through the tournament, he wouldn't really mind even if some of them were not scored acrobatically in midair.
Honourable Mentions
Mohamed Diame
The Newcastle United midfielder has often flattered to deceive while still in the Premier League, but if he plays to his potential, Senegal would find themselves a bonus source of goals.
Mame Diouf
Another Premier League player, the striker set pulses racing when he destroyed Manchester City a couple of seasons ago, and would have to settle for a place on the bench if does not find his scoring touch soon.
