The Lions and the Fennecs will meet on September 12, at 7pm (Universal Time), at the President Abdoulaye Wade Stadium in Diamniadio, on the outskirts of Dakar.
This will be a dream match for a friendly game. Senegal and Algeria will take advantage of the FIFA window in September, after the 6th and final day of the Africa Cup of Nations (AfCON) qualifiers, to measure themselves against each other.
The last duel between the two teams took place on July 19, 2019. It was in the Can final at Cairo International Stadium (Egypt). An early goal from center-forward Baghdad Bounedjah, on a shot with a crazy trajectory, had enabled the Fennecs, for the second time in their history, to win this competition.
Since 2015, the Lions have met this opponent five times. Their record is largely unfavorable: four defeats and one draw. The balance of power is virtually the same going back further in history; in other words, Algeria are Senegal’s bête noire.
At Diamniadio’s Stadium, Coach Aliou Cissé, fresh from a prestige victory over Brazil (2-4), will be keen to beat his Algerian counterpart Djamel Belmadi. This will give the reigning African champion a psychological advantage over a coach whose team will be one of the favorites for the AfCon 2023 in Cote d’Ivoire.
On Twitter, the announcement of the upcoming friendly match by the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) prompted a number of comments. One fan called for “ticket sales to start as soon as possible, and for the stadium gates to open at 8am” for a match scheduled for 7pm.
Given the enthusiasm, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the show sell out. Especially since, according to sports journalist Babacar Ndaw Faye, the five continental titles won by Senegal will be presented to the public. These are the AfCON seniors, the AfCON under-20s, the AfCON under-17s, the African Nations Championship (CHAN, reserved for local players) and the AfCON beach soccer.
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