First Senegal call-ups for Noah Fadiga and Moussa Niakhate
- Published
Noah Fadiga (left) could follow in his father's footsteps at the World Cup, while Moussa Niakhate (right) was a youth international for France
Noah Fadiga, the son of Khalilou Fadiga, and Nottingham Forest defender Moussa Niakhate have received their first Senegal call-ups with just over two months to the World Cup.
Teranga Lions head coach Aliou Cisse has named the pair in the African champions' squad for friendlies against Bolivia and Iran next week.
Fadiga, a defender with Brest in France, could become the second member of his family to contest a World Cup, after father Khalilou was a key creative force in midfield as Senegal reached the last eight of the 2002 World Cup against expectation.
Fadiga senior was also part of the first Senegalese side, which also featured the likes of forward El Hadji Diouf and midfielder Cisse himself, to reach an Africa Cup of Nations final, also in 2002.
Born in Brugge, 22-year-old Noah can play right-back or winger and is also eligible to play for Belgium.
Meanwhile, Niakhate is a Roubaix-born centre-back who represented France at youth level and won 11 caps at Under-21 level.
The 26-year-old joined Premier League newcomers Forest from German club Mainz in July, and featured twice this season before suffering a hamstring injury.
Cisse has also given maiden call-ups to five other players in an extended squad list of 29 for the final international fixtures before the World Cup starts in Qatar.
France-based goalkeeper Mory Diaw (Clermont), Formose Mendy (Amiens) and Ismael Jakobs (Monaco) are included alongside two players who ply their trade in Spain - midfielder Pathe Ciss (Rayo Vallecano) and forward Nicolas Jackson (Villareal).
The squad will meet in France on Monday ahead of facing Bolivia in Orleans (24 September) and Iran in Austria (27 September).
Eight players from February's victorious Nations Cup squad are missing because of injuries or a lack of game time since the beginning of the season.
Both starting full-backs from Senegal's maiden continental triumph are absent, with Bouna Sarr out of the World Cup with a knee injury and Saliou Ciss without a club.
Youssouf Sabaly of Real Betis deputised for Sarr in the second leg of the World Cup play-off against Egypt, but is also sidelined.
Chelsea goalkeper Edouard Mendy is one of several Premier League players in the squad, alongside club teammate Kalidou Koulibaly, Idrissa Gana Gueye (Everton), Nampalys Mendy (Leicester), Pape Sarr (Tottenham) and Cheikhou Kouyate (Crystal Palace).
Senegal will face the Netherlands, hosts Qatar and Ecuador in Group A at this year's World Cup, starting their campaign against the Dutch on 21 November.
Ahead of guiding the national team to a World Cup for the second time in a row, Cisse is expecting to face an "aggressive team" in Bolivia - one close to the qualities of Ecuador - and "one of the best teams in Asia" in Iran, now coached by Carlos Queiroz, who led Egypt in February's Nations Cup final.
Senegal squad in full
Goalkeepers: Edouard Mendy (Chelsea, England), Alfred Gomis (Rennes, France), Seny Dieng (Queens Park Rangers, England), Mory Diaw (Clermont, France).
Defenders: Kalidou Koulibaly (Chelsea, England), Abdou Diallo (RB Leipzig, Germany), Pape Abou Cisse (Olympiakos, Greece), Fode Ballo-Toure (AC Milan, Italy), Moussa Niakhate (Nottingham Forest, England), Ismael Jakobs (Monaco, France), Noah Fadiga (Brest, France), Formose Mendy (Amiens, France).
Midfielders: Moustapha Name (Paphos, Cyprus), Pape Gueye (Marseille, France), Idrissa Gana Gueye (Everton, England), Nampalys Mendy (Leicester City, England), Mamadou Loum Ndiaye (Reading, England), Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham Hotspur, England), Cheikhou Kouyate (Crystal Palace, England), Pathe Ismael Ciss (Rayo Vallecano, Spain), Krepin Diatta (Monaco, France).
Forwards: Sadio Mane (Bayern Munich, Germany), Keita Balde (Spartak Moscow, Russia), Ismaila Sarr (Watford, England), Bamba Dieng (Marseille, France), Iliman Ndiaye (Sheffield United, England), Boulaye Dia (Salernitana, Italy), Nicolas Jackson (Villarreal, Spain), Demba Seck (Torino, Italy).