Cisse hopes Senegal finally deliver elusive Africa Cup of Nations

Senegal coach Aliou Cisse

Senegal coach Aliou Cisse named a squad yesterday he hopes will finally bring him an Africa Cup of Nations which has eluded him for over two decades. The 45-year-old tasted defeat in a final first as captain in 2002 - he missed a penalty in the shootout defeat to Cameroon - and then as coach in 2019. “I want this Africa Cup of Nations. I have been running after it since 1999,” he said at the press conference after unveiling the squad. For his third finals as coach he has selected a group which includes 17 who have yet to play in the biennial African football showpiece. “It is not the novelty (of the finals) that will make the difference but they can bring a freshness of approach to the squad,” he said. However, there is experience too in the shape of Liverpool star Sadio Mane, Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Idrissa Gueye, Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly and Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. Senegal are in Group B and open their campaign against Zimbabwe on January 10 before further games against Guinea (January 14) and Malawi (January 18) for the tournament that kicks off on January 9 and runs till February 6. Meanwhile, Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha has been included in Ivory Coast’s squad.  The recall comes after coach Patrice Beaumelle did not pick the 29-year-old for World Cup qualifiers in November, saying Zaha had opted out and wanted to “reflect on the rest of his international career”.  Zaha responded to Beaumelle’s comments at the time by saying that representing his country was something he would “never, ever take for granted”. Zaha has scored five goals in 16 appearances for Palace in the Premier League this season. Ivory Coast, winners in 1992 and 2015, will compete in Group E with Algeria, Sierra Leone and Equatorial Guinea at the tournament, which gets underway on Jan. 9. Meanwhile Africa Cup of Nations debutants Comoros Islands have picked a 26-man squad for next month’s Africa Cup of Nations finals, with all but one of them French-born. Coach Amir Abdou announced his squad ahead of their departure for Saudi Arabia today, where they will train for the tournament and play practice games. They compete in Group C against Gabon, Ghana and Morocco, making their tournament debut on Jan. 10 against Gabon in Yaounde.  Comoros Island Squad Goalkeepers: Ali Ahamada (unattached), Ben Salith Boina (US Endoume), Moyadh Ousseni (Frejus Saint-Raphael) Defenders: Kassim Abdallah (Marignane-Gignac), Nadjim Abdou (Martigues), Chaker Alhadhur (AC Ajaccio), Kassim Mdahoma (US Avranches), Abdallah Ali Mohamed (Stade Lausanne-Ouchy), Bendjaloud Youssouf (Chateauroux), Younn Zahary (Cholet) Midfielders: Rafidine Abdullah (Stade Lausanne-Ouchy), Nakibou Aboubakari (Sete), Fouad Bachirou (Omonia Nicosia), Said Bakari (RKC Waalwjik), Yacine Bourhane (Go Ahead Eagles), Nasser Chamed (Gaz Metan Medias), Youssouf Mchangama (En-Avant Guingamp), Iyad Mohamed (AJ Auxerre), Mohamed Youssouf (AC Ajaccio)  Forwards: El Fardou Ben Mohamed (Red Star Belgrade), Moussa Djoumoi (Saint-Priest), Faiz Mattoir (Cholet), Mohamed Mchangama (FC Nouadhibou), Ali Mmadi (Epinal), Ahmed Mogni (Annecy), Faïz Selemani (Kortrijk). (Writing by Mark Gleeson in Johannesburg Editing by Mark Potter)Senegal Squad Goalkeepers: Edouard Mendy (Chelsea/ENG), Alfred Gomis (Rennes/FRA), Seni Dieng (QPR/ENG). Defenders: Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli/ITA), Ibrahima Mbaye (Bologna/ITA), Bouna Sarr (Bayern Munich/GER), Cheikhou Kouyaté (Crystal Palace/ENG), Abdou Diallo (PSG/FRA) Abdoulaye Seck (Royal Antwerp/BEL), Fodé Ballo Touré (AC Milan/ITA), Abdou Diallo (PSG/FRA), Saliou Ciss (Nancy/FRA). Midfielders: Idrissa Gueye (PSG/FRA), Nampalys Mendy (Leicester City/ENG), Pape Matar Sarr (Metz/FRA), Moustapha Name (Paris FC/FRA), Loum Ndiaye (Alaves/ESP), Pape Gueye (Marseille/FRA), Joseph Lopy (Sochaux/FRA). Forwards: Sadio Mané (Liverpool/ENG), Boulaye Dia (Villarreal/ESP), Ismaila Sarr (Watford/ENG), Famara Diedhiou (Alanyaspor/TUR), Habib Diallo (Strasbourg/FRA), Bamba Dieng (Marseille/FRA), Keita Balde Diao (Cagliari/ITA), Ismail Jakobs (Monaco/FRA), Famara Diédhiou (Alanyaspor/TUR)