Senegal suffered a major setback when captain Kalidou Koulibaly was forced off injured early in their Africa Cup of Nations semi-final against Egypt at Ibn Battuta Stadium in Morocco.
The experienced defender could not continue after feeling pain in his adductor muscle following a strong challenge with Egypt forward Omar Marmoush around the 20th minute.
Although Koulibaly initially tried to play on, it quickly became clear he was struggling and he went down again just two minutes later, signalling that he could not complete the match. Coach Pape Thiaw was left with no choice but to substitute his leader, sending on Mamadou Sarr in the 23rd minute to reshape Senegal’s back line.
The injury as a heavy blow for the Teranga Lions, given Koulibaly’s influence, experience and presence at the heart of defence in such a high-stakes knockout game.
The winner of this semi-final will face the victor of the other last-four clash between Morocco and Nigeria, meaning Senegal now must chase a place in the final without their on-field captain and defensive pillar.
