The Republic of Ireland welcome Senegal to the Aviva Stadium on Friday evening for their final home match before World Cup qualifying begins in September.
It is the first-ever meeting between the two nations and the first time an African team visits the Dublin ground.
Kick-off is at 7.45pm Moroccan time (GMT+1), and fans can catch the action live on L’Équipe and Amazon Prime UK.
Ireland is aiming for a third consecutive win after back-to-back victories over Bulgaria in March. Hallgrímsson sees the fixture as a vital step up in intensity. “They come at you again and again,” he said. “It’s a good test of our shape and defensive work.”
Evan Ferguson is expected to lead the line, having netted four of his five international goals at the Aviva. Troy Parrott is a doubt with illness. Robbie Brady, recently named FAI Player of the Year, is likely to start in midfield.
Senegal, on the other hand, arrive unbeaten in their last 20 matches and with plenty to prove. Sadio Mané is absent due to personal reasons, while Pape Matar Sarr misses out through injury. But manager Pape Thiaw still boasts a strong squad, including Kalidou Koulibaly, Edouard Mendy and Ismaïla Sarr.
Thiaw will make the most of this match to prepare for a key qualifier in September against Sudan and DR Congo. They play another high-profile friendly against England next week. The Senegalese coach is expected to field a mix of youth and experience, with Abdallah Sima and Iliman Ndiaye both pushing for starting roles.
Opta stats:
- Ireland have not beaten an African side since a 3-0 win over Algeria in 2010
- Senegal have kept seven consecutive clean sheets
- Nicolas Jackson has scored once in 19 games for Senegal
- Ireland’s next home win will be their 150th across all competitions
Predicted Lineups:
Republic of Ireland: Kelleher; Doherty, Collins, O’Brien, Brady; Ebosele, Knight, Taylor, McAteer; Idah, Parrott
Senegal: Mendy; Diatta, Koulibaly, Niakhate, Jakobs; P Sarr, Gueye, Camara; Ndiaye, Jackson, I Sarr
Predicted Score:
Senegal’s unbeaten run and physical edge may be too much for Ireland.
Verdict: Ireland 1-2 Senegal.
