প্রকাশ: 18/11/2022
Senegal star Sadio Mane has lost his race to be fit for the
2022 World Cup and has been withdrawn from their squad, the country's football
federation announced on Thursday.
His club Bayern Munich added later that the 30-year-old, who
was voted second in the Ballon d'Or last month behind Karim Benzema, had
undergone "successful surgery" in Innsbruck where "a tendon was
reattached to the head of his right fibula".
Bayern said Mane "will begin his rehab in Munich in the
next few days".
The absence of the talismanic Mane is a massive blow to the
Senegalese. He scored the winning penalty in a shootout victory against Egypt
in the African Cup of Nations final and repeated the feat against the same
opponents to qualify the Lions of Teranga for the World Cup.
Mane was voted African footballer of the year for his feats,
and has scored 33 times in 92 matches for Senegal.
He picked up his shin injury playing for Bayern earlier this
month but was named in the World Cup squad in the hope he could regain fitness.
But on Thursday Senegal said the former Liverpool star would
not make it.
"Unfortunately, today's (Thursday) MRI shows us that
the improvement is not as favorable as we imagined and unfortunately we have to
withdraw Sadio from the World Cup," said team doctor, Manuel Afonso in a
video on the official Senegal Twitter account.
Senegal had originally hoped the forward would be fit in
time for their opening game on November 21 against the Netherlands.
They will also take on hosts Qatar and Ecuador in Group A.
Senegal football federation chief Augustin Senghor told AFP
Thursday there was no panic over the loss and said the player's health had been
paramount in their decision.
"We have been ready for this since the news of his
injury," Senghor said.
"We had been waiting for new test results and when they
came in we all agreed his health had to come first."
When asked how the team had taken the blow Senghor replied:
"Zen".
But Senegal international Pape Gueye told AFP that Mane
would be missed.
"Mane is irreplacable," he said.
"But we do have other options on the flank, and that's
a ray of hope on a dark day for Senegal."
After naming Mane in his World Cup squad a week ago, coach
Aliou Cisse was optimistic but cautious.
"Losing Sadio Mane is not an easy thing for a coach,
for the team, even for African football," he said.
Mane had been in Munich receiving treatment with his club.
- Reuters
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