CAN: Senegal’s Ismaïla Sarr is at the heart of a tug of war between Aliou Cissé and Claudio Ranieri

In depth

By Alexis Billebault
Posted on Thursday, 6 January 2022 18:22

From left to right: Claudio Ranieri, Ismaïla Sarr and Aliou Cissé. Montage Jeune Afrique; Photos: Manjit Narotra / ProSportsImages / DPPI via AFP; Alex Pantling / GETTY IMAGES EUROPE / Getty Images via AFP; Vincent Fournier/JA

Claudio Ranieri, coach of the British club Watford, is still refusing to allow his Senegalese striker Ismaïla Sarr to play in the African Cup of Nations, which opens on 9 January in Cameroon. This attitude has been denounced by Aliou Cissé, the coach of the "Lions de la Teranga", but also by several high-profile African football players, including Samuel Eto'o.

The decision to hold the African Cup of Nations (CAN) in January and February has almost always led to tensions between European clubs and African federations. Except in 2019, when the competition was held in Egypt in June and July. But old habits die hard.

As 2021 neared its end, some European coaches, such as Germany’s Jürgen Klopp (Liverpool) and France’s Frédéric Antonetti (FC Metz), made very outspoken statements. The former, visibly anxious about the idea of having to do without Egypt’s Mohamed Salah and Senegal’s Sadio Mané, even described the CAN as a “small championship.”

Ranieri and protocol

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