Official: Diafra Sakho Withdraws from 2015 AFCON Due to Injury
Senegal has suffered a significant blow ahead of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, as star striker Diafra Sakho has been officially ruled out of the tournament due to a back injury.
The news, initially reported by Africa Top Sports on January 3, was confirmed on Wednesday by the national team’s coach Alain Giresse. The West Ham forward sustained the injury on January 1st during a Premier League match against West Bromwich Albion. Following assessments by the club’s medical team, it was determined that Sakho would be out for two to five weeks, making his participation in AFCON 2015 impossible.
“Sakho will not be in the 23-man squad, as his back problem prevents him from even making the trip,” said Giresse.
Sakho had been one of Senegal’s key players, having scored eight goals in the Premier League and previously helping FC Metz gain promotion to Ligue 1. His dynamic presence in front of goal will be sorely missed.
Replacement Named: Moussa Konaté
To fill the void, Giresse has called up Moussa Konaté, a 21-year-old striker from FC Sion (Switzerland), who was on the preliminary list of 28 players. Konaté, formerly on loan at Genoa and now a regular at Sion, had already featured in the early qualifiers for CAN 2015, scoring against Egypt and Botswana.
Senegal, placed in Group C alongside Algeria, Ghana, and South Africa, faces a tough road ahead — and will now have to do so without one of its most clinical finishers.
