Defending champions Senegal have to show that having won the Africa Cup of Nations with players playing in the biggest European leagues they can now triumph with those competing in the Saudi championship, said head coach Aliou Cisse.

Cisse on Friday selected a quintet of stars who were pivotal to their maiden Africa Cup of Nations success in 2022 but who now ply their trade in Saudi Arabia.

Previously Cisse had refused to select players playing there due to the low quality of the league in comparison to the European leagues.

However, stars of the calibre of talismanic forward Sadio Mane, goalkeeper Edouard Mendy and centreback Kalidou Koulibaly have moved there once the Saudis loosened the purse strings this year.  

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