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Sadio Mané, injured with his club Bayern Munich, is part of Senegal’s list for the 2022 World Cup, despite doubts about his ability to play in the tournament. ” I don’t want to talk about the absence of Sadio Mané, even if in the back of my head, I’m trying to prepare for it “Explained an Aliou Cissé who wanted to be optimistic despite everything. The coach, who extended his contract until 2024, has retained 26 players including the superstar.
Aliou Cissé put an end to the suspense: yes, the coach of the Senegal team has retained Sadio Mané, his superstar, for the 2022 World Cup (November 20-December 18 in Qatar). The technician, who called up 26 players for this World Cup in Qatar, gave some details about the striker, injured in the last game of Bayern Munich, his club. « We are following him. We sent the doctor from the Senegalese Federation to Germany, since yesterday or the day beforerecalled Aliou Cissé, during a tense press conference. Yesterday, he spent the whole day in Munich then he went to Austria, still to push the examinations concerning the boy’s health. The good news today is that there is no operation. Then we gave ourselves the opportunity to meet again next week. The wound will touch (sic) a week or ten days. From there, we will do another control MRI to see the evolution of this injury. I preferred to keep him in the group because it is a situation that we have already experienced, to a lesser degree, with Ismaïla Sarr at CAN 2021. We were able to manage it well. Sadio is a special player in our squad. So, it is important to continue to follow his injury, hoping that within two or three weeks, there will be an evolution. But we’re really optimistic ».
“Today, we don’t want to think about it”
But the technician reminds that he can change a player from the group before the first match, scheduled for November 21 against the Netherlands, in group A. A possibility for the African Player of the Year and second in the Ball ranking d’Or 2022 that Aliou Cissé cannot totally rule out. ” Losing Sadio Mané is not something easy for the coach, for the team and even for African footballreplied the coach. Today, we don’t want to think about it. But inevitably, we are obliged to anticipate in case he is absent. I don’t want to talk about the absence of Sadio Mané even if in the back of my head, I’m trying to prepare for it »…
Whatever happens, the reigning African champions will have to face, against the Dutch therefore, then against Qatar (November 25) and Ecuador (November 29). Four years ago, the Lions were narrowly eliminated in the first round of the World Cup. ” We gained experience during 2018 and the different AFCONs “, recalled Aliou Cissé, who has just extended his contract until 2024.
