Senegal operates with a balanced tactical identity that blends high possession with an aggressive pressing structure. While Sadio Mané remains a focal point for scoring, the team maintains a mixed-tempo approach that allows them to control the ball while remaining active defensively. This versatility provides a stable foundation, though recent results suggest they are still refining their consistency against elite opposition.

Playing identity · system ↔ individual × direct ↔ possession

Senegal is plotted from possession share and top-scorer concentration. PPDA and recent form are supporting context when present.

+Recent form8 · 5W 0D 3L

2026-07-01World Cup 2026ASEN 2-3 BELL

2026-06-26World Cup 2026HSEN 5-0 IRQW

2026-06-23World Cup 2026ASEN 2-3 NORL

2026-06-16World Cup 2026ASEN 1-3 FRAL

2026-01-14Africa Cup of Nations 2025HSEN 1-0 EGYW

2026-01-09Africa Cup of Nations 2025ASEN 1-0 MLIW

2026-01-03Africa Cup of Nations 2025HSEN 3-1 SUDW

2025-12-30Africa Cup of Nations 2025ASEN 3-0 BENW

International friendly matches are excluded

N2 · Scoring

open play 89%

How they score

Senegal relies heavily on open play to generate their scoring output. With nearly 90% of their goals originating from open play, they demonstrate a clinical edge in active situations that significantly outperforms the field average. Their attack is built on sustained pressure rather than set-piece reliance.

Goal source · share of play-type-classified goals

89.1%

Open play89.1%Counter6.5%Corner2.2%Free kick2.2%

4% set piececorner + free kick

Effectiveness · conversion by source vs benchmark

Open play30%avg 20%+11 pts

44 goals from 145 shots.

Set piece3.8%avg 4.5%-1 pts

2 goals from 52 shots.

benchmark average higher than field by 3+ pts lower than field by 3+ pts

Goal-source shares use non-own-goal rows with source_class values; own goals are excluded.

+Top scorers · still a threat?78% intact

78% of listed scorer goals come from players still marked in the squad.

Sadio Mané	in squad	9 · 18%
Habibou Diallo	out	5 · 10%
Ismaïla Sarr	in squad	5 · 10%
Nicolas Jackson	in squad	4 · 8%

N3 · Conceding

open play 77%

How they concede

Senegal is most vulnerable to goals originating from open play. With over three-quarters of their conceded goals coming from active play, opponents may find success by prioritizing quick transitions and sustained pressure. While set-piece threats are statistically lower, the higher-than-average conversion rate against them suggests that lapses in defensive organization during open play remain their primary tactical weakness.

Conceded goal source · share of play-type-classified goals

76.5%

Open play76.5%Corner11.8%Free kick11.8%

24% set piece concededcorner + free kick

Effectiveness · conceded conversion by source vs benchmark

Open play23%avg 20%+3 pts

13 conceded from 57 shots faced.

Set piece9.8%avg 4.5%+5 pts

4 conceded from 41 shots faced.

benchmark average lower than field by 3+ pts higher than field by 3+ pts

Conceded source shares use non-own-goal rows with source_class values.

N4 · Big moments

in line with ranking · -0.02 GD residual

Better than their rating?

Senegal performs consistently in line with their current Elo ranking. With a minimal goal difference residual of -0.02, the team displays higher reliability than the field median. Their performance profile suggests they generally meet expectations rather than frequently exceeding or falling short of their statistical baseline.

Over-performance DNA · beats-its-rating × reliability, the tournament field

SENTournament field · 48solid line = rating-neutral · dashed = field-median reliability100 Elo ~= -0.37 goals

+Biggest over- & under-performances31 matches

Residual = actual goal difference minus what the Elo gap predicted.

vs IRQ · 2026-06-26	GD +5 vs exp +1.08	+3.92
vs SSD · 2025-10-10	GD +5 vs exp +2.80	+2.20
vs MTN · 2025-10-14	GD +4 vs exp +1.90	+2.10
vs ENG · 2022-12-04	GD -3 vs exp -0.57	-2.43
vs TOG · 2023-11-21	GD 0 vs exp +2.05	-2.05
vs CIV · 2024-01-29	GD -1 vs exp +0.87	-1.87