Senegal midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate has temporarily left the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations to mourn the death of his father in Dakar.
The Nottingham Forest star was an unused substitute in Senegal’s 3-0 defeat of the Gambia on Monday and he is rated as one of the veterans in Aliou Cisse’s squad.
Kouyate got the news of his father’s passage at the Teranga Lions’ camp in Yamoussoukroon Tuesday morning and he has been granted permission by the Senegalese Football Federation to reunite with his family in this period of grief.
The FSF statement read: “The Senegalese Football Federation presents its deepest condolences to Cheikhou Kouyaté who was also authorized to leave the national team gathering today to go to the funeral.”
The burial ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday in Dakar and Kouyate could return in time for Senegal’s crucial Group C encounter against Cameroon on Friday.
The Teranga Lions lead their group with three points after a commanding result against the Gambia.
