Ba out as Senegal ring changes for friendly
Demba Ba was among several high-profile casualties as Senegal kept just nine of the squad from the recent Africa Cup of Nations finals for a friendly against South Africa in Durban on February 29.
The Newcastle United striker was dropped along with other players including Mamadou Niang, Souleymane Diawara and Moussa Sow, who recently moved to Fenerbahce in Turkey in a 10-million-euro transfer from French champions Lille.
Co-coaches Karim Sega Diouf and Aliou Cisse, who are acting in a caretaker capacity after the firing of Amara Traore, have promoted several players from the country's under-23 side for the first match for Senegal since a disastrous Nations Cup campaign.
Traore was sacked earlier this month after Senegal, one of the pre-Nations Cup favourites, lost all three group games at the tournament in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.
Among those who survived the cull were Ba's new Newcastle team-mate Papiss Demba Cisse and Wigan Athletic midfielder Mouhamed Diame.
Back in the squad is striker Mame Biram Diouf, formerly on the books at Manchester United, who is now at Hannover in the Bundesliga.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Bouna Coundoul (Unattached), Khadim Ndiaye (ASC Linguere).
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Defenders: Abdoulaye Ba (Academica Coimbra, Portugal), Jacques Faty (Sivasspor, Turkey), Papa Gueye (Metalist Kharkov, Ukraine), Kader Mangane (Stade Rennes, France), Cheikh Mbengue (Toulouse, France), Pape Ndiaye Souare (Lille, France), Matar Thioune (Molde, Norway), Zarco Toure (Boulogne-sur-Mer, France).
Midfielders: Stephane Badji (Sandals, Norway), Mouhamed Diame (Wigan Athletic, England), Ricardo Faty (PAOK Salonika, Greece), Idrissa Gana Gueye (Lille, France), Cheikh Kouyate (Anderlecht, Belgium), Ndiaye Deme Ndiaye (Arles Avignon, France).
Forwards: Ibrahima Balde (Osasuna, Spain), Papiss Demba Cisse (Newcastle United, England), Boubacar Dialiba Diabang (KV Mechelen, Belgium), Mame Biram Diouf (Hannover 96, Germany), Moussa Konate (Maccabi Tel-Aviv, Israel), Dame Ndoye (FC Copenhagen, Denmark).