THE SCRAP IS ON TO BE THE LIONS KINGS

FROM NEIL MOXLEY in Doha SENEGAL have thrown down the gauntlet to the Three Lions, challenging them to a duel to reach the World Cup quarter-finals.

The west African country stand between England and a spot in the last eight and have told Gareth Southgate’s men to prepare for an in-your-face scrap on Sunday.

Emotions were running high within Aliou Cisse’s squad after they secured passage through to the last 16 by beating Ecuador. And it was clear from their words afterwards that they are ready to mix it.

Skipper Kalidou Koulibaly said: “Senegal are better when they have their backs against the wall. We see real men and against Ecuador we saw real Lions on the pitch.

“We knew they were a team that put a lot of aggression and intensity out there on the pitch.

“They wanted to hurt us. But we are used to that. We play in Africa. We are the African champions and we are used to duels.

“We knew we were going to respond on the pitch. And we did.”

Everton midfielder Idrissa Gueye said that not to have reached the knockout stage – only the second time his country has managed to do so since entering the World Cup – would have wasted years of hard work.

The Lions of Teranga sense they are men on a mission.

Gueye said: “We’re really happy getting through because of all the effort we’ve made through the years.

“We know we have the players for it. Against Ecuador, it was like an AFCON game – a real battle. “The first two group games were quite complicated. In this game we had to deliver, and we did. And that was important for our people and for us.

“We made a lot of effort to qualify in the play-off game against Egypt. It would have been wasted had we not reached the last 16.”

Along with Gueye, there is plenty of other Premier League experience in Cisse’s squad. They have Chelsea duo Eduoard Mendy and Koulibaly at the back with Gueye anchoring the midfield.

From the Championship there is also Sheffield United’s Iliman Ndiaye and Watford’s Ismaila Sarr up front.

Gueye added: “Ismaila can be the X-factor. He is the kind of player who takes people on and makes the difference.”