Senegal’s worst fears have been confirmed — Sadio Mane has been definitively ruled out of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
The forward’s participation in Qatar was already in doubt after he sustained a leg injury in a Bundesliga game for FC Bayern Munich against Werder Bremen on 8 November, but Senegal coach Aliou Cisse lifted hopes that he could play by naming him in his 26-man squad for the tournament.
However, his absence was confirmed by the Senegal national team in a news conference on Thursday, when the team’s doctor announced that Mane’s injury had not evolved as well as they had hoped.
The doctor also announced that the former Liverpool striker would undergo surgery to treat the problem.
Mane led Senegal to win the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year by scoring the decisive penalty in their shootout victory over Egypt in the final, while he also helped them beat Egypt again in another penalty shootout later in the year to qualify for the World Cup.
Senegal begin their World Cup campaign against the Netherlands on 21 November.
Bengali