Senegal will face Togo in a crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying clash at Stade Me Abdoulaye Wade, determined to avoid further setbacks in their campaign.
While the Teranga Lions remain unbeaten in the qualifiers, they have already dropped points in three of their five matches, leaving little margin for error.
Match preview
Senegal's qualification campaign began under Aliou Cisse, who oversaw two wins and two draws in the first four matches before being dismissed in December 2024, and his departure paved the way for Pape Thiaw to take charge as head coach.
The former striker's first World Cup qualifier at the helm ended in frustration, as Senegal were held to a goalless draw away to table-toppers Sudan – a match in which both sides squandered major opportunities.
That result saw them slip to third in Group B with nine points, trailing second-placed DR Congo by one and leaders Sudan by two, and with only the group winners securing automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup, victory on Tuesday is imperative for Senegal to keep their hopes alive.
While they are favourites against Togo, history suggests this will be anything but straightforward – the last five meetings between the two nations have resulted in one win apiece and three draws – including a goalless stalemate in the reverse fixture.
Interestingly, all previous encounters have come in World Cup qualifiers, and both sides recorded their wins when they hosted the fixture, with Senegal picking up a win and a draw in their two home fixtures against the Sparrowhawks.
Togo, meanwhile, remain one of three teams in Group B yet to register a victory, alongside Mauritania and South Sudan, having suffered just one defeat, and drawing the other four matches.
On Saturday, the Sparrowhawks played out an entertaining 2-2 draw against Mauritania, having both opened and closed the scoring.
Dare Nibombe's side currently sit fourth in the group with four points, and their fading hopes of reaching a second World Cup – having last qualified in 2006 – are hanging by a thread.
When these sides met for the first time enroute Togo's 2006 World Cup appearance, the visitors battled to a hard-fought 2-2 draw in Senegal, and will be hoping to repeat that result at the very least.
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Team News
Thiaw handed debut caps to Antoine Mendy and 19-year-old Assane Diao in the draw against Sudan, with Mendy starting the match, while Diao was introduced from the bench.
Al-Nassr forward Sadio Mane returned to the starting XI after missing Senegal's previous two qualifiers with a thigh injury.
However, Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson remains sidelined with a hamstring problem that has kept him out of action since February.
For Togo, Thibault Klidje and Kevin Denkey were on the scoresheet in their draw against Mauritania, with Denkey's goal making him joint-seventh in Togo's all-time scoring charts.
Malcolm Barloca is expected to retain his place in goal, protected by a back-three consisting of Kevin Boma, Kennedy Boateng and Josue Homawoo.
Senegal possible starting lineup:
Mendy; Diatta, Koulibaly, Niakhate, Mendy; Gueye, Gueye; Mane, Camara, Sarr; Dia
Togo possible starting lineup:
Barcola; Boma, Boateng, Djene, Atte, Homawoo; Agbagno, Karim, Annor; Klidje, Denkey
We say: Senegal 2-1 Togo
Senegal may have dropped points in previous matches, but with the World Cup qualifiers now at the halfway stage, their sense of urgency will be heightened, and backed by their home support, we expect their quality to shine through and guide them to victory in this crucial encounter.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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