World Cup 2026 qualifiers: Senegal deprived of a key player ahead of DR Congo clash | OneFootball

A major blow for Senegal before the derby against DR Congo

Senegal vs DRCongo/@FSF

Called up by Pape Thiaw for the two matches against Sudan (September 5) and DR Congo (September 9), as part of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Ismaïla Sarr will ultimately not be taking part.

The Senegalese international (64 caps, 13 goals) is believed to have picked up an injury during the Premier League matchday 3 encounter against Aston Villa (0-3) on Sunday night. In that match, he was one of Crystal Palace’s three goalscorers.

This is a real blow for the Lions of Teranga, who lose one of their most in-form players at the start of the season (2 goals in 3 English league games).

The 27-year-old winger will be replaced by Ousseynou Niang, a player for Union Saint-Gilloise. This will be his first call-up to the senior Lions squad, having previously featured for the U20 and U23 national teams. He has scored 1 goal in 6 Jupiler Pro League matches so far this season.

Preparation for the Senegalese national team began on Monday, September 1, at the training pitch adjacent to the Diamniadio stadium, with six players present: Pape Matar Sarr, Ismaila Jakobs, Kalidou Koulibaly, Iliman Ndiaye, Habib Diarra, and Sadio Mané.

The squad will be gradually completed in the coming hours, as Senegal faces a crucial challenge, currently trailing the Leopards by one point in Group B of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.