The absence of Sadio Mane, ruled out of the tournament by a knee injury, could prove a catastrophic blow to Senegal’s hopes of breaking new ground for Africa at the tournament, but they are still expected to be testing opponents in Doha’s Al Thumama Stadium.
The wily 71-year-old took the Netherlands to third place at the World Cup in Brazil eight years ago and since returning to the job last year, has taken the team on a 15-match unbeaten run. It will be a major psychological blow to a side that Mane propelled to Africa Cup of Nations success at the start of the year and then kicked the winning penalty for, as they edged Egypt in a post-match shootout for a berth at the World Cup finals.