Sénégal vs Arabie Saoudite : Les tops et les flops
In their final warm-up match before the 2026 World Cup, Senegal played to a disappointing goalless draw against Saudi Arabia. The Lions kept a clean sheet, despite some defensive concerns, but struggled to create chances and develop attacking play. Here are the highlights and lowlights.
The tops
Pathé Ciss
Positioned as a defensive midfielder behind Lamine Camara and Habib Diarra, and often between the two center-backs, the Rayo Vallecano midfielder was the linchpin of the Lions' attack. While he did miss a few passes, his runs and through balls frequently sparked the Lions' play. In his 86 minutes on the pitch, he never held back, occasionally offering attacking options. The first player to initiate attacks, he also acted as a vigilant presence, thwarting several Saudi attacks.
Ismaila Sarr
Coming on in the 62nd minute, the recent Conference League winner quickly injected dynamism into the Lions' attack. After a surging run down the wing, he perfectly set up Nicolas Jackson, whose shot from three meters out went wide. He then created a great header opportunity, saved by Saudi goalkeeper Al-Owais, before hitting the crossbar. In just 30 minutes on the pitch, he created more chances than the rest of the team combined in the entire hour.
The flops
Lamine Camara
Already struggling against the United States a few days ago, Lamine Camara was invisible in the first half against Saudi Arabia. He offered no initiative, no suggestions, and no influence on the Lions' play, despite being expected to be the deep-lying playmaker. Camara seemed lost in midfield, unable to drop back to help Pathé Ciss distribute the ball, let alone support the team's attacks. He improved in the second half, but his performance remained insufficient and far below his standards at AS Monaco.
Iliman Ndiaye
He made very few contributions, and when he did have the chance, he hesitated to release the ball. He struggled to outpace his opponent, whom he only managed to beat once. To illustrate his lack of influence against Saudi Arabia, Ndiaye only touched the ball 35 times (9 of which he lost possession), 20 fewer than the goalkeeper, Edouard Mendy.
Sadio Mané
We've seen a much sharper Sadio Mané! Against the Saudis, the Al-Nassr striker offered virtually nothing going forward. No dribbles, no shots. Worse still, he lost possession several times in dangerous situations. Of his 12 turnovers, one almost resulted in a goal for Saudi Arabia, but Edouard Mendy won the one-on-one.
Nicolas Jackson
More inefficiency from the Senegalese striker. He misses a big chance a few minutes after coming on, then penalizes his team by receiving two avoidable yellow cards in just two minutes, resulting in his dismissal in the 84th minute, 22 minutes after entering the game.
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