Ibrahima Mbaye Replaces Injured Lamine Sané in Senegal Squad for Crucial AFCON Qualifiers Against Tunisia
With just days to go before Senegal’s double-header against Tunisia in the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, head coach Alain Giresse has announced a key change to his squad: Ibrahima Mbaye, the 19-year-old Inter Milan defender, has been called up to replace Lamine Sané, who has undergone surgery for a torn meniscus and will be sidelined for several weeks.
“We called Ibrahima Mbaye, a former member of the Olympic team who played at the Francophone Games in Nice,” said Giresse. The decision was made based on predefined criteria, with Mbaye and Pape Alioune Ndiaye having been on standby in case of withdrawals.
Mbaye, a product of Etoile Lusitana and formerly on loan at Livorno, impressed last season with 22 Serie A appearances, including 20 starts and 2 goals. His inclusion adds youthful energy and depth to the Senegalese defense as they prepare to face Tunisia on October 10 in Dakar and October 15 in Monastir.
This is Senegal’s second injury-related replacement ahead of the qualifiers. Earlier, Pape Guèye (Metalist Kharkiv) was called up to replace Cheikhou Kouyaté (West Ham).
Senegal sits among the favorites in their group and hopes these new additions can help secure vital points in their pursuit of qualification for AFCON 2015 in Morocco.
