Cheikhou Kouyate to cast aside international allegiances in search of away day to remember at Liverpool

Cheikhou Kouyate will park national allegiances and is determined to give West Ham fans an away day to remember at Liverpool this weekend.

The Senegalese midfielder will face compatriot and national teammate Sadio Mane at Anfield on Saturday.

The pair will travel to the World Cup in Russia this summer, Senegal’s first since 2002 and only the second in their history.

However, after a fortnight of hard work at Rush Green having not been involved in the FA Cup, Kouyate’s mind is focused solely on dismantling Jurgen Klopp’s side.

“We are going to play against one of the best teams in the league and there are some good players there, including Sadio Mane,” Kouyate told the club website.

“I know him and I like to play against my friends. Every time we play, he wants to win, but maybe he won’t this time because we also want to win there.

“We have a few days to work hard because we have a big, big game at Anfield and we want to go there and do something special for the fans.”