Lions of Teranga: Niakhaté injured, Seyni Mbaye Ndiaye called up as reinforcement against DR Congo | OneFootball

Celta Vigo defender receives first senior national team call-up after central defense withdrawals

Seyni Mbaye Ndiaye / Photo : FSF Twitter

Seyni Mbaye Ndiaye has been urgently called up by Pape Thiaw to replace the injured central defenders. The Celta Vigo player joins the Lions of Teranga camp ahead of Senegal’s trip to Kinshasa on Tuesday to face DR Congo.

The Lions of Teranga are facing a true crisis at center-back ahead of their crucial away match in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Moussa Niakhaté, who was replaced by Abdoulaye Seck just before the hour mark during the 2-0 victory over Sudan on Friday night, is now sidelined by an injury that will keep him out of the Kinshasa clash.

Abdou Diallo, another mainstay of Senegal’s defense, also picked up an injury during training and will not be available for this pivotal encounter. These two major absences have forced the technical staff to rethink their plans and call on local Lions for reinforcement.

Seyni Mbaye Ndiaye is now set to make his debut for Senegal’s senior national team at just 20 years old. The center-back, who played for Union Sportive de Gorée before joining Celta Vigo this summer, has enjoyed a meteoric rise that has accelerated in just a few weeks. Born in Dakar, he signed a four-year contract with the Spanish club at the end of August after impressing during CHAN 2025 in Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda. His remarkable progress with Gorée last season had already caught the eye of many observers.