Senegal chase another big win

by Graeme Jackson

Tuesday Oct 16, 2018. 11:30

Senegal will chase another big win in Group A of the 2018 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers when they face Sudan at the Khartoum Stadium on Tuesday, 16 October 2018, kick-off at 19h30 CAT.

Senegal come into the game placed at the top of the pool on seven points, though second-placed Madagascar have the same number to their name. Sudan are bottom of the log with zero points, while Equatorial Guinea are third with three points.

The Teranga Lions got the better of the Falcons of Jediane when the teams met in Dakar on Saturday night, claiming a 3-0 win thanks to goals from Pape Cisse, Idrissa Gueye and M’Baye Niang.

Repeating that feat is not guaranteed in their trip to North-East Africa, though the fact that Sudan’s only previous home game in the group ended in a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Madagascar in June last year suggests that the West Africans start as clear favourites.

And Aliou Cisse’s side will also hope that the group’s other game on Tuesday – an early afternoon kick-off between Madagascar and Equatorial Guinea in Antananarivo – sees the in-form islanders stumble.

Senegal are likely to stick with much the same team which did duty in Dakar on the weekend, though Everton midfielder Gueye is an injury doubt, while Sudan coach Zdravko Logarusic may well make wholesale changes and introduce some youngsters after writing off his team’s chances of qualification.

The match in Khartoum will be handled by Algerian referee Mustapha Gorbal.