Why is Kalidou Koulibaly Not Playing In Senegal vs Morocco AFCON Final Match?

Senegal will be taking the field today against Morocco to repeat the same feat from 2022, in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final. However, they seem to be missing one of their key stars, who has served the national team with everything he has got.

There were doubts over Kalidou Koulibaly's inclusion in the squad after he was booked in the semifinal against Egypt, as he accumulated the required limit of yellow cards, which would see him miss the all-important final on Sunday.

Fans hoped that the decision could be reversed and wanted to find out is Kalidou Koulibaly playing tonight. Well, there's bad news for them as the Senegal captain will not be a part of the AFCON final match, which could be a big blow for the Senegal national football team.

Koulibaly Misses 2025 AFCON Final

After his untimely yellow card in the semifinal, people were of the view Is Kalidou Koulibaly playing in Senegal vs Morocco?' Their nightmares have come true as the Senegalese defender sits this game out due to a suspension for racking up too many yellow cards.

Koulibaly saw the caution in only 17 minutes of the game, when he fouled Omar Marmoush, who was on his way to go through on goal. Things went from bad to worse for the centre-back, as he was forced to leave the pitch with a groin issue just a few minutes later.

However, this is not the first time that Kalidou Koulibaly has faced this situation. In the 2019 AFCON, he faced a similar fate when he was forced to miss the final against Algeria.

Team News, Replacements, and Tactical Shifts

In the absence of Kalidou Koulibaly, Mamadou Sarr of Strasbourg has been called into action to pair with Moussa Niakhate at the heart of the defense. The 20-year old centre-back is on loan at the French club from Chelsea, and has impressed a lot in recent times.

The youngster has played just 14 minutes in the tournament, which came in a 3-0 win over Benin in the final group stage game. Sarr shoulders enormous responsibility today as he is tasked with controlling one of the best African teams currently, Morocco, from finding a way to beat Edouard Mendy between the sticks.

There won't be much of a tactical shift from Pape Thiaw for this game, despite fielding a new centre-back in the defense line. Sarr is expected to thwart attackers like Brahim Diaz, who has been exceptional for Morocco in this tournament, and also excel in playing the ball out from the back to maintain Senegal's fluid gameplay.