Kalidou Koulibaly, the esteemed captain of the Senegal national team, has swiftly returned to his club, Al Hilal, following an unexpected exit during the round of 16 at CAN 2023, where his side faced defeat against Côte d’Ivoire.
Now back with Al Hilal, the current leaders of the Saudi Pro League, Koulibaly finds himself facing an unexpected setback.
The club is gearing up for a pivotal clash against Iranian side Sepahan in the Asian Champions League’s round of 16, scheduled for Thursday, February 15, 2024.
Despite the high stakes of the upcoming match, Kalidou Koulibaly has not been included in the Al Hilal lineup by coach Jorge Jesus.
The coaching staff opted to adhere to the competition rules, limiting their selection to five foreign players for the match against Sepahan.
The chosen quintet comprises Yacine Bounou, Ruben Neves, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Aleksandar Mitrovic, and Malcom, leaving Koulibaly out of the lineup.
This decision appears to align with a strategic approach adopted by coaches, emphasizing the frequent rotation of foreign players to meet competition regulations rather than a commentary on Koulibaly’s performance.
Parallel to his compatriot, Sadio Mané, who similarly did not feature for Al Nassr on February 14, 2024, Koulibaly will be relegated to the spectator stands for the forthcoming clash.
The absence of the seasoned defender will undoubtedly be felt, but Al Hilal aims to navigate this critical encounter with determination, leveraging the strengths of the selected foreign players to secure a positive result against Sepahan.
