African pair draw blanks, Peru captain Guerrero reprieved

Senegal’s preparations began with a limp stalemate away to Luxembourg although talisman Sadio Mane sat out the game, having only joined the squad this week after the Champions League final where he scored for Liverpool in its loss to Real Madrid. It was the third successive draw for the Lions of Teranga since it qualified for next month’s tournament and it now heads to the Austrian Alps to train.

It will also face fellow World Cup qualifiers Croatia and South Korea before heading to Russia where it plays Colombia, Poland and Japan in the group stage. Morocco was held goalless by Ukraine in Geneva as it prepares to start its campaign against Iran before facing Spain and European champion Portugal in its World Cup group on its first appearance at the finals since 1998.

“The first preparation match was the best means to review that and repeat the fundamentals,” said Morocco coach Herve Renard. “The important thing is to keep our way of working. We will be ready on June 15.” Peru was probably the happiest of the 32 finalists on Thursday after veteran Guerrero was cleared to take part in the finals in the latest twist in a long-running saga which has kept the Andean nation on tenterhooks.

Guerrero completed a six-month ban imposed by FIFA in May but days later the suspension was increased to 14 months by the Court of Arbitration for a Sport following an appeal by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). However, on Thursday, the Swiss Federal Tribunal agreed to temporarily lift the doping suspension while it considers his appeal against the ban, freeing him to play for Peru at its first World Cup finals for 36 years.

“The President of the court took into account the setbacks of all types that the appellant, already aged 34, would suffer if (he) was prevented from participating in a competition that will be the culmination of his career as a footballer,” it said in a statement.