Doha: Barcelona has announced the squad for the Champions League match against Lyon in France tonight.
Coach Ernesto Valverde has picked Senegalese player Moussa Wague, an Aspire Football Dreams (AFD) graduate, for the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie tonight at 11pm (Qatar time).
Barcelona have added Ghana's Kevin-Prince Boateng, Jeison Murillo and Wague to their Champions League squad in February. Club are allowed to register three new players before the knockout stages.
The African duo alongside Murillo has been added to replace injured Rafinha, departed Denis Suarez and Munir in Valverde's team.
Seven points clear at the top of La Liga, Barcelona are the favourites to beat a Lyon side appearing at this stage of the competition for the first time in seven years. The second leg at the Camp Nou will be on March 13.
Defender Wague has been outstanding for Barca B team since he arrived from Belgian club AS Eupen in August, scoring a goal in 11 league matches.
Wague was at AFD from 2014 before graduating and joining K.A.S Eupen in 2017 where he made his debut in the Belgian Jupiler Pro League. In August 2018 he joined Barcelona.
Wague along with fellow AFD graduate, goalkeeper Francis Odinaka Uzoho of Nigeria were the first two AFD graduates to feature at a FIFA World Cup, when they played for their countries in Russia 2018.
AFD is a unique project designed to identify and nurture young footballing talent from around the world. It provides an opportunity for thousands of 13-year-old boys in developing countries to receive an educational scholarship and the chance to develop their footballing potential. For those who get selected, AFD provides a development programme that includes school education, coaching, chance to play in international friendlies, medical and pastoral support, accommodation and board.
