Corona hits Senegal before the start of the African Cup
The Senegalese Football Association announced today, Sunday, that the country’s first team goalkeeper, Edouard Mendy, and striker Famara Didio, along with captain Kalidou Coulibaly, were excluded from participating in the team’s first match in the African Nations Cup in Cameroon, after tests confirmed that they were infected with the Corona virus.
Thus, the options of the Senegal team, which had six cases of HIV infection in its ranks, before traveling to Cameroon in its first match in the tournament against Zimbabwe, on Monday, in Group B, are narrowed.
And the Italian club, Napoli, revealed that its player Coulibaly was injured yesterday, Saturday, saying that he had received the vaccine and did not show any symptoms.
Because of the infection, six players remained in Senegal and did not travel with the national team to Cameroon to play the finals.
As a result of Ismaila Sarr's inability to play due to injury, as well as Abdullah Seik, the number of the team's players was reduced to only 17 players.
Regarding this situation, Senegal coach Aliou Cisse said in a press conference today, Sunday, "This is a difficult and complicated situation, but we will compete and the players present will play without the absent."
"Nevertheless, we will play the match against Zimbabwe, and we are confident in ourselves," the coach added.
The Confederation of African Football has put in place strict rules and preventive measures to limit the spread of infection in the finals, which start later on Sunday and continue until February 6.
It is prohibited for any player who is confirmed by tests to be infected with the infection to enter the stadium or participate in the match, while all teams must play the matches scheduled for them as long as they have a minimum of 11 players.
The Confederation of African Football says that a team that refrains from playing the match despite the availability of 11 players in its squad will be considered losing the match, with a score of 2-0.
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