Senegal: Assane Diao breaks his silence after withdrawal from AFCON 2025

Africa 21 December 2025 at 06:39

Joshua SOSSOU

News Editor

Injured and ruled out of AFCON 2025 with Senegal in Morocco, Assane Diao has finally spoken out. The young Senegalese talent sends a heartfelt message to Pape Thiaw and the squad.

Assane Diao will not be taking part in AFCON 2025. He suffered a right thigh injury during Como’s defeat to AS Roma (1-0) in Serie A. It’s a massive blow as the young Senegalese forward was on the verge of experiencing his very first major tournament with Senegal. In an especially moving message posted on his social networks, the Como prodigy shared his pain and current state of mind.

"There are moments when things don’t go the way you want, and the frustration of not being able to get out of it weighs heavily. My 2025 ends a little earlier than expected, after a season where I experienced both sides of football: a wonderful first half, during which I rediscovered the joy of playing and enjoyed the best period of my career, then a much more difficult second half, marked by too many setbacks. This time, it prevents me from fulfilling the dream of representing my country at my first Africa Cup of Nations, which makes me very sad and is still hard to accept. I wholeheartedly wish my teammates the very best and hope the trophy comes back with us to Senegal. I’m now fully focused on working to come back stronger and reclaim my place in the second half of the season," he wrote on Instagram.