Lions v Lions as England prepare to take on Senegal: Sunday’s last-16 opposition for Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions are the Lions of Teranga – and champions of Africa
- England will play Senegal in the knockout stages of the World Cup on Sunday
- The Three Lions are through to the next round after seeing off Wales 3-0
- Senegal are without star player Sadio Mané but have a history of football talent
- The football-mad West African country is known as the ‘gateway to Africa’
- Click here for the latest World Cup 2022 news, fixtures, live action and results
There will be more than just pride at stake when England take on Senegal in the Battle of the Lions this Sunday.
The Three Lions’ reward for topping Group B following a decisive 3-0 victory over Wales last night will be a knock-out match with Group A runners-up and African champions Senegal on Sunday evening.
The West African side, known as the Lions of Teranga, are ranked 18 in the world, one position above Wales.
The Senegalese team will start the match as underdogs against Gareth Southgate’s men but they are not without pedigree, having won the African Cup of Nations at the start of the year.
However, the squad is leading its World Cup campaign without star player Sadio Mané, ruled out of the tournament with an injury.
Senegal is a French-speaking West African nation known as the ‘gateway to Africa’.
England are through to the knockout stages of the World Cup after beating Wales 3-0, which included an assist by captain Harry Kane (pictured)
Senegalese captain Kalidou Koulibaly (pictured) took his team into the next round with the winning goal against Ecuador on Tuesday
The Three Lions will meet the Lions of Teranga in the World Cup round of 16 on Sunday night
Although nowhere near the largest economy in the continent, Senegal has produced some top football talent over the years, and its capital Dakar is a popular tourist destination, which includes the tallest statue in Africa.
There are also seven UNESCO world heritage sites in the country, home to a huge variety of wildlife including lions and killer hippos.
Senegal is overwhelmingly Muslim, with around 90 per cent of the population following Sufi Islam, a mystic branch of the religion which puts an emphasis on tolerance.
Unlike many of its neighbours, the country has never suffered an attack by radical Islamists and is viewed as a source of stability in the region.
Just over 20 years ago, Senegal staged one of the greatest upsets in footballing history, as the unfancied World Cup debutants defeated then-reigning champions France in the opening match of the 2002 tournament.
They made it to the quarter-finals with a team of relative unknowns, such as El Hadji Diouf, Salif Diao and Papa Bouba Diop, all of whom would soon find themselves playing in the Premier League.
Their captain at that tournament, defender Aliou Cisse, now manages the national team.
Football fans in the Senegalese capital Dakar celebrate after their team scored in their group stage match against Qatar
Dakar is home to Le Monument de la Renaissance Africaine (The African Reneissance Monument) – the tallest statue in Africa
The country is home to seven UNESCO world heritage sites and has a rich variety of wildlife
Away from football, one of Senegal’s most famous exports is the singer and rapper Akon.
The 49-year-old burst onto the global pop scene in the mid-2000s with ‘Lonely’ – which sampled Bobby Vinton’s ‘Mr Lonely’ – and later enjoyed chart success with singles including ‘Smack That’ and ‘Locked Up’.
French is listed as Senegal’s official language, though the most widely spoken is Wolof.
Its greatest export is gold, and its capital, Dakar, is the end point for the annual desert rally.
England will be hoping the Lions of Teranga reach the conclusion of their World Cup journey this Sunday.
Source: Read Full Article