Almost two years after they last played on their home field, Senegal players want to give their supporters a cheerful return when they take on Egypt on Friday in the opening qualifier match of the African Cup of Nations (CAN) at the Leopold Sedar Senghor stadium. The Dakar-based stadium was banned by Confederation of African Football (CAF) in November 2012 following massive riots by the fans during a CAN 2013 qualifier game against Ivory Coast on 13 October 2012. The ban was lifted last November, and since then local authorities have been completing renovations on the complex that is the national team's home base. "It is a pleasure to be back home again after two years. We know the Senegalese fans are very excited and we will give our maximum effort to please them during the game. It is an extra motivation for us," midfielder Pape Diop told local media. The Teranga Lions had their main training session on Wednesday with dozens of supporters watching from outside the stadium's fences asking the players to thrash Egypt to return to Africa's elite competition. The Senegalese were disqualified from the 2013 edition after the incidents with Ivory Coast 2012. "It is important to start the qualifiers on our home turf. I want the fans to be a 100 percent behind their team, and push their players to get a winning start to the qualifiers because it is very important in such tournaments. They must show the Egyptians that will get nothing out of here and that's what I am expecting from them," coach Alain Giresse told CAF Online. In the first official match, the 60,000-seat stadium is expected to be packed. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at@AO_Sportsand on Facebook atAhramOnlineSports.) http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/109994.aspx
