Dutch bank on quality while Senegal hope ‘young guns’ step up

Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal said his side are keen to deliver like never before as they prepare for their World Cup opener against Senegal on Monday.

The 71-year-old, in his third stint as national coach and who led the Dutch to a third-placed finish in Brazil in 2014, said the quality in his squad is even higher than the team he brought to Brazil.

"I believe that this group of players are well-connected to each other together, they work well together in a professional way, and I think that will always contribute to success," Van Gaal told a news conference on Sunday.

The coach, who won the Champions League in 1995 with a brilliant generation of young Dutch players at Ajax Amsterdam, said he has high expectations.

"In 2014 we came third with a squad that was of lesser quality than this one, and with this group I expect more. It depends not only on technical skills and tactical skills, but it also depends on a bit of luck, that you score at the right time and that the others don't score," he said.

"I think that we could become world champion, but there are squads that, in my view, are at a higher level than my squad ... so I'm saying we can become a world champion. Whether we become world champion is another thing, but we can."

Van Gaal was flanked by Dutch captain Virgil van Dijk, who will not have to face his former Liverpool team mate Sadio Mane in the opener. The Senegalese striker has been ruled out of the tournament due to injury.

"I called him the next day in the morning, obviously I wanted to know how he was first and foremost, because there was so many rumours coming out and just as a friend I wanted to know how he was," Van Dijk said.

Van Dijk said his team were very much looking forward to the tournament getting underway.

"I'm relaxed, that's it, nothing else - of course I'm excited, jut like the other guys, these last few days passed really slowly," he said.

While the Netherlands are hoping to bank on quality, Senegal coach Aliou Cisse told his younger players that it was their time to shine after talisman Mane was ruled out.

"Of course we won't hide the importance of Sadio Mane for the Senegalese team -- he's very important, a coach builds his team around his best players.

"But there's also a group here with experienced players, with young players ready to step up. We've had to play matches before without Sadio Mane."

Cisse said the African champions, who also face Ecuador and hosts Qatar in Group A, have "excellent young players".

"I have a lot of depth on the bench so I will be able to make good subs if someone is getting tired," he said.

Senegal have called up Moussa Ndiaye, the 20-year-old Anderlecht defender.

Krepin Diatta, 23, is one of those who could fill the void left by Mane.