Sadio Mané's reaction after finding out Senegal will play England at the World Cup

Following the completion of Group A and B matches, the knockout rounds of the World Cup in Qatar have begun to take shape, with the clash between England and their Senegal counterparts interesting and intriguing, for although the Three Lions are favourites to reach the quarter-finals, the Africans have proved a difficult contender to dominate.

For England to finish top of Group A was the least that could have been expected from a team almost entirely made up of the best the Premier League has to offer, while the Senegalese were pleasantly surprised to finish just a point behind the Netherlands, drawing strength from where there was none after the loss of star striker Sadio Mané.

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Although the Bayern Munich player can't be celebrating with his team today after qualifying for the last 16, the striker is surely proud to see his team-mates achieve their goal without relying on him, and he is looking forward to the knockout round against an opponent that brings back fond memories of some of his players, as not so long ago both Jordan Henderson and Trent Alexander-Arnold shared the field at Liverpool.

Mané would obviously prefer to see his team through to the next round of the World Cup, but deep down he knows his heart will be torn in two if Hendo and Arnold are eliminated in the last 16. In some ways the Bavarian striker will be both happy and sad at the game, for although he knows Senegal come in as the underdogs, he knows they can surprise and knock out one of the favourites to win the title.

<strong>Senegal and England play on Sunday</strong>

Unable to do anything for his national team, Mané has no other option but to be a factor of encouragement through his social networks, where he is sure that there will be no shortage of support until the final whistle of the match on Sunday. Should the Africans be eliminated, Sadio Mané will still be happy to see his former teammates continue to fight for a footballer's greatest dream.