Senegal's Sadio Mane to miss at least the first game of the World Cup in Qatar

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Senegal's Sadio Mane to miss at least the first game of the World Cup in Qatar

Mane was injured while playing for Bayern Munich
Mane was injured while playing for Bayern MunichReuters
Senegal forward Sadio Mane (30) will miss the "first games" of the World Cup in Qatar due to injury, a Senegal soccer federation official was quoted as saying by local media on Tuesday.

Mane was named last week in Senegal's 26-man squad for the World Cup, which starts on Sunday, despite picking up an injury to his right fibula playing for Bayern Munich in the run-up to the tournament.

Senegal coach Aliou Cisse said Mane, whose decisive penalties secured the Africa Cup of Nations title and World Cup qualification for his country this year, did not require surgery but hopes of him lining up against the Netherlands on November 21st appear slim.

"We will have to rely on playing the first games without Sadio and win without Sadio because we have 25 players apart from Sadio," official Abdoulaye Sow said.

"No one would have wanted it, but that's what's happened to us."

Senegal also face hosts Qatar on November 25th and Ecuador on November 29th in World Cup Group A.