Senegalese international Papiss Demba Cissé, who was absent without reason during the friendly match against Niger on November 14, has issued an apology to the Senegalese people. This move is seen as an attempt to appease the anger of the Senegalese football federation (FSF), which had considered taking severe measures against its captain.
The FSF had initially planned to contact FIFA to assert its rights in determining the availability of players for dates set on the international calendar. Papiss Cissé’s absence from the friendly match had put him at risk of facing disciplinary actions.
As a consequence, Cissé could potentially miss Newcastle’s upcoming match against Swansea. However, Alan Pardew, the manager of Newcastle, is trying to resolve the situation by mentioning the player’s convalescence due to back pain. Pardew stated, “We think we did the right thing to inform them (the FSF), but they seem not to have received the information. We are in discussions with the FSF and the FA so that he can play on Saturday (today).”
Newcastle is currently 10th in the English championship after 11 days, holding one point more than their next opponent, Swansea, who has 13 points.
It’s worth noting that several other key players from the Senegal national team, including Demba Bâ, Pape Kouly Diop, Dame Ndoye, and Issiar Dia, also avoided the match against Niger. The absence of these players from the next CAN (African Cup of Nations) would have had a demotivating impact on the team.
