Fifa World Cup 2022 match preview: Senegal vs. Netherlands

 The Teranga Lions defeated Egypt on penalties in February to win their first Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) championship.

The Netherlands have also had notable success on the continent, winning two victories against Benelux rivals Belgium and finishing first in their Nations League group.

Monday's game will probably be the biggest test in Group A for both sides, who will be confident in their prospects against Ecuador and Qatar, who are rated 44th and 50th in the world, respectively.

Virgil van Dijk, a talented centre defender for Liverpool, was scheduled to face Sadio Mané, a prolific goal scorer and former colleague, in the match at Al Thumama Stadium. However, the Ballon d'Or runner-up this year suffered a leg injury while playing for German winners Bayern Munich and has been disqualified from the competition, dealing a crushing blow to the African champions and shocking their fans.

Defender Kalidou Koulibaly stated, "We realise that we have lost a fantastic leader, but I believe that there will be other players who will reveal themselves and we must be ready."

Nampalys Mendy, a midfielder, agreed.

It's true that Sado's absence will hurt us much since he is a key player, but we need to be prepared for everything. We are confident in our quality and will make every effort to demonstrate it since we have excellent players as well.

But football writer Micky Jnr, who specialises in African football, expressed optimism that "this Senegal squad will proceed from the group."

Against the Netherlands, he predicts Senegal will at the very least get a point or "maybe surprise the Europeans with a victory."

Midfield conflict

Both sides have multiple top-tier options at the back. For the Netherlands, Van Dijk is accompanied by players like Stefan de Vrij of Inter Milan and Matthijs de Ligt of Bayern Munich. Koulibaly of Chelsea and Abdou Diallo of RB Leipzig are reliable players for Senegal.

With Chelsea's Edouard Mendy in the middle, Senegal seems to have an advantage.

Despite the goalkeeper's inconsistent play this year, the Netherlands cannot compare to his international experience. The 39-year-old Ajax goalie Remko Pasveer received his first international debuts in the last two games under Dutch manager Louis van Gaal, who has yet to decide on his number one.

The Oranje have midfielders like Frenkie de Jong and the prolific Cody Gakpo, who has 13 goals and 15 assists in 24 games this season to light up the Dutch Eredivisie.

The fight, according to Jnr, will be fought in the middle of the field. He singles out Senegal's Pape Matar Sarr as a player to watch out for because of his skill and "great work rate."

Senegal has several promising attacking alternatives, including Boulaye Dia, who is presently on loan from Villareal to Serie A team Salernitana.

Mané will be a significant loss for Senegal, however, as Memphis Depay, who seems to have recovered from an injury, will be a challenge for the team's defence.

"We have athletes who compete at the top levels for the most prestigious clubs worldwide. We have knowledge. We're talented. We have a decent mix. But above all, we share a sense of unity. And I believe that is the beginning and the secret of success. Although it's not a guarantee of success, van Dijk stated on Thursday that it's a good place to start and praised van Gaal's leadership.

We have an excellent, seasoned manager, he said.

"We'll do all we can to try and earn a positive result and start our World Cup in the best manner possible," the team said of the match against the African champions.