Mane injury hurts Senegal

With the Reggae Boyz absent, many Jamaicans will be supporting African teams at the FIFA World Cup when it kicks off tomorrow. Senegal were set to carry the continent’s challenge for the trophy but a late injury blow has them off balance.

At world number 18, Senegal are the highest ranked of the five African teams in the World Cup.

“While we hope that one, or more than one would break through, Senegal in Group A look like they have a chance to go through. I would choose them and the Netherlands to come from that zone, but they have Ecuador who are not used to that climatic condition in Qatar and may find it a little more difficult with their breathing, and the home team Qatar motivated and well prepared,” said analyst Clyde Jureidini last week.

Attacker Sadio Mane played a key role as Senegal edged Egypt to win the 2022 African Nations Cup on penalties. However, he picked up a right leg injury in his last pre-World Cup game for Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga. Bayern confirmed the player “underwent successful surgery” on Thursday to attach a tendon to the head of his right fibula.

“This will severely hurt Senegal,” Jureidini assessed.

With Mane out of the World Cup, the burden of carrying the Senegalese challenge falls to excellent goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, classy defender Kalidou Koulibaly and winger Ismaila Sarr.

Jureidini isn’t so optimistic about the chances for Morocco, Tunisia, Cameroon and Ghana. Morocco, world ranked at number 22, are in Group F against world number two Belgium, 2018 finalists Croatia, and Canada.

Ranked at 30, Tunisia have exited at the group stages in all five of their previous World Cup appearances. Their Group D opponents are defending World Cup champions France (ranked four), Denmark (10) and Australia (39).

“Tunisia are going to struggle, I think, with France and Denmark and similarly as we scroll down, Morocco are definitely going to struggle against Croatia, Belgium and Canada, in my view, to get out of their zone,” Jureidini continued.

His assessment of the 43rd ranked Cameroon team was similar. Though the Indomitable Lions shone in the past, Jureidini said: “Cameroon are in a dogfight. Brazil are the big dogs in that group with two European teams, Serbia and Switzerland, also in the group. I do think they (European teams) have a little too much experience for Cameroon and will ward them off.”

In 1990, Cameroon beat Colombia 2-1, becoming the first African team to win a World Cup knockout match.

Ghana go to Qatar as one of the lowest ranked teams in the tournament (61) to face Portugal, the team of Cristiano Ronaldo, South Korea and former World Cup champions Uruguay in Group H.

“Ghana have always had talent,” Jureidini said, alluding to fine showings in the past in youth tournaments, “but Portugal and Uruguay, I think, may be a step too far for them.”

Ghana shone brightly in 2010 when a deliberate handball by Uruguay’s Luis Suarez denied them a goal that would have taken them to the semifinals.