Emma Sanders
BBC Sport at Al Thumama Stadium

Image source, Getty Images

I sat across both media conferences yesterday and most of the talk was about the players who WON'T be featuring tonight.

Senegal are of course without Sadio Mane, while the Netherlands are without Memphis Depay, who contributed to the most goals in qualifying.

It will be interesting to see who copes better. The Dutch might be better suited at adapting their style, whereas a lot of Senegal's play comes through Mane.

With Ecuador and Qatar making up the rest of this group, many feel this is the match which will decide the group winner.

John Bennett
BBC World Service Sport, at the Al Thumama Stadium

It’s a great opportunity for Monaco’s Krepin Diatta to shine for Senegal tonight. He missed their Africa Cup of Nations title win earlier this year due to a knee injury, which was cruel because at the 2019 AFCON in Egypt he was one of the breakthrough stars, winning the best young player of the tournament prize.

Whoever came in for Sadio Mane wouldn’t be able to match the Bayern Munich’s star’s quality but Diatta and Ismailia Sarr could cause the Dutch problems in the wide areas.

Senegal always look solid but creativity is often their big problem. The African Champions will need to give their rapid wide men the right service.”

Four months ago the orange Dutch fans' bus was in Leigh, Greater Manchester, for the Women's Euros.

Now it's arrived in Qatar for the World Cup. The double decker has certainly clocked up a few miles this year!

Image source, Reuters

Four years ago Seny Dieng was playing for non-league Hampton & Richmond Borough in the sixth-tier of English football. Now the QPR keeper is on the bench for Senegal at the World Cup.

Zurich-born Dieng, 27, is one of 10 players in the Senegal squad based in England.

Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk was due to wear a 'OneLove' armband during this game to promote diversity and inclusion. However, England, Wales and other European nations have decided not to wear the armband at the World Cup in Qatar because of the threat of players being booked.

A joint statement from seven football associations said they could not put their players "in a position where they could face sporting sanctions".

Read more here.

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport at Al Thumama Stadium, Qatar

Image source, Getty Images

Netherlands' forward Memphis Depay, who misses out today with a hamstring injury but is technically still named on the substitutes bench, is out warming up with the rest of the squad. It's just light jogging and stretching.

Image source, Getty Images

Senegal are the reason Mo Salah is watching this World Cup on television instead of playing in it.

Salah's Egypt were beaten on penalties by the Lions of Teranga in a play-off back in March.

It was the second time in six weeks that Senegal defeated Egypt on penalties to win a major prize. In February it was the Africa Cup of Nations final.

Image source, Rex Features

It's just seven months since Louis van Gaal announced he was receiving treatment for prostate cancer.

The former Manchester United boss, 71, said he had received "25 radiation treatments" and that the treatment had "done its job".

Van Gaal calls this World Cup "the biggest present I’ve ever had"., external

Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk wants to give Van Gaal "a World Cup to never forget".

"I told him that we are definitely going to be there for him as a group whenever he needs it - and hopefully we can also make it, for him, a World Cup to never forget," added the Liverpool defender.

Van Gaal began his third spell as Netherlands coach in August 2021, having previously failed to qualify for the 2002 World Cup, before leading them to a third-place finish in 2014.

Image source, Getty Images

Is this the year Africa produces a team that reaches the World Cup semi-finals for the first time?

Brazil legend Pele once predicted a winner from the continent by 2000.

Fast forward 22 years and Africa, a place where football is king, has still to produce a team to advance beyond the quarter-finals.

Senegal are joined in Qatar by Cameroon, Ghana, Morocco and Tunisia but few believe they will get near the final.

The best result by an African team at the World Cup was reaching the quarter-finals - Cameroon in 1990, Senegal in 2002 and Ghana in 2010.

Read: Six questions facing African teams in Qatar.

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport at Al Thumama Stadium

Hopefully this picture gives you an idea of the size of this replica World Cup trophy outside of the stadium. I'm massive!

The Netherlands are the only team to have played at least three World Cup finals and never won the trophy.

They will want to win this group to give themselves the best chance of reaching a fourth final and another attempt to get their hands on it (the real one, not this giant fake one).

Image source, BBC Sport

Netherlands

Huge news from the Netherlands dressing room. Keeper Andries Noppert is making his international debut at the World Cup!

The 28-year-old is 6ft 8in tall, making him the tallest player at this tournament.

Noppert only received his first Netherlands call-up in September, and two years ago he was without a club. What a story!

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport at Al Thumama Stadium, Qatar

There's plenty of Premier League representation in the Senegal squad.

Chelsea defender Kalidou Koulibaly captains the side, while Blues goalkeeper Edouard Mendy also starts. Everton's Idrissa Gana Gueye lines up in midfield.

Monaco winger Krepin Diatta is one of those who will be stepping in for the injured Sadio Mane.

Senegal XI: E Mendy, Koulibaly, Cisse, Gueye, N Mendy, Kouyate, Dia, Diatta, Sarr, Sabaly, Diallo.

Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk captains the Netherlands, alongside Bayern Munich defender Matthijs de Ligt.

Manchester City's Nathan Ake and Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong also start.

Full-back Denzel Dumfries starts despite being a slight injury doubt in the build-up to the World Cup.

Netherlands XI: Noppert, De Ligt, Van Dijk, Ake, Bergwijn, Gakpo, Berghuis, Blind, Janssen, De Jong, Dumfries.

This is the Netherlands' first appearance at the World Cup since footballing great Johan Cruyff died in 2016.

The Oranje failed to qualify for the 2018 tournament after finishing third in Brazil in 2014.

The 'Cruyff Turn' is 48-years-old having been born at the 1974 World Cup. To this very day, it's a thing of outstanding beauty.

Image source, Getty Images

The Netherlands have announced they will auction their shirts after the World Cup to support migrant workers in Qatar.

"It has not escaped anyone's notice that facilitating the tournament has had a huge impact on migrant workers in Qatar," captain Virgil van Dijk said.

"They have worked on stadiums, infrastructure and hotel accommodation under very harsh conditions. We will remember that during all our activities there. It is clear to everyone that those conditions really need to improve."

Read more here., external

Salim Kikeke
BBC Swahili presenter in Doha

Image source, Getty Images

"No Mane, no problem" - that seems to be the feeling from the Senegalese fans before their opening World Cup game against the Netherlands.

"We will definitely miss Sadio Mane today, but we the fans are going to give it all to be behind the team," says Hassan Waly who has travelled from Washington DC.

Many fans have had long flights to get here but they are very happy that things are now getting going.

One fan, who came from Paris and had a 12-hour layover in Istanbul, says he slept in a mosque while waiting for his next flight. "It's worth it," he says.

Netherlands

Image source, Getty Images

The Netherlands have waited ages for this day. Having failed to qualify four years ago, this is their first game at the World Cup since defeating hosts Brazil in the third place play-off on 12 July 2014 - 3,054 days ago.

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport at Al Thumama Stadium

I arrived at the Al Thumama Stadium at around 15:00 local time (we’re three hours ahead of the UK). It’s one of the more difficult stadiums to travel to.

I decided to take the local route via two metro changes, a bus and a 40-minute walk. It was an adventure but quite straightforward.

Getting into the stadium was more difficult but now we’re in place and there’s a general feeling of excitement because this could be a really good match-up.

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, Reuters

It is not just Senegal who are missing a key player.

Netherlands forward Memphis Depay was directly involved in more goals than any other player in the European qualifiers (18), scoring 12 and assisting a further six in 10 games.

He's out with a hamstring issue. Full team news is coming up.

Image source, Getty Images

Two games down. Ten goals scored. Will the goal-fest in Qatar continue?

Up next at the 2022 World Cup it's the Group A showdown between Senegal and the Netherlands.

Only two of the three poster boys in the picture above have made it to this tournament.

How will the champions of Africa cope without Sadio Mane?