Mali captain Yves Bissouma faces uncertainty ahead of his team’s Group A showdown with Morocco’s Atlas Lions.
The Tottenham Hotspur midfielder has been working on recovering from a recent injury and was absent from Mali’s opening match against Zambia on Monday.
Bissouma’s appearance at Thursday’s pre-match press conference offered some reassurance, though it did not clarify whether he would feature against Morocco.
Head coach, Tom Saintfiet, adopted a measured tone when addressing the matter, emphasizing caution and realism.
“The reason Yves is here today is not because he will necessarily play tomorrow,” Saintfiet told CAFonline. “There is no link between who sits next to me and who starts the match. Maybe he plays, maybe he doesn’t.”
Meanwhile, Bissouma appeared composed and undistracted by the speculation surrounding his fitness.
“What matters to me today is Mali,” he stated. “I am here and fully focused on tomorrow’s match. The rest doesn’t concern me.”
