The Lions of Teranga have suffered a major setback ahead of their must-win World Cup clash with Iraq, with veteran goalkeeper Édouard Mendy ruled out after sustaining a knee injury against Norway.
Having already suffered back-to-back defeats, Senegal have been hit by a series of setbacks since the start of this World Cup. Mendy will be unavailable for the match against Iraq on Friday (9 p.m.) in Toronto. The goalkeeper injured a ligament in his left knee during the 3-2 defeat to Norway, and he is now projected to miss his team’s must-win third match as they battle to produce a big win that will guarantee them a third-place qualification to the next round on goal difference.
The results of further medical tests will reveal more about Mendy’s return date and the exact nature of his injury. But the already confirmed injury doesn’t look good for the player, as he was looking to compete in this crucial tournament with the Lions of Teranga.
It is Mory Diaw, the Havre AC goalkeeper, who will replace one of the team’’s key players and step into the gloves against Iraq.
Senegal arrived with high hopes but are now experiencing a devastating start to the tournament, with their World Cup hopes hanging by a thread. Kalidou Koulibaly explained Mendy’s importance to the team after the collapse against Norway.
“Seeing him injured like that really affected our morale. I hope it’s not too serious; we need him, the team needs him,” stressed the Teranga Lions captain. “You should have seen him, he was getting up on the bench, giving instructions.”
