World Cup 2026 Qualifiers: The Setback Continues for the Lions of Teranga

A major blow for El Hadji Malick Diouf! The young Senegalese defender from SK Slavia Prague fractured his fibula this Saturday, March 8, 2025, during a league match against Sparta Prague.

This evening, El Hadji Malick Diouf was forced to leave the field as early as the 18th minute, following an ankle injury sustained in a duel with Nigerian forward Emmanuel Uchenna. Despite initial treatment, Diouf could not continue the match.

End of the season for El Hadji Malick Diouf?

Hours after the match, Slavia's coach, Jindřich Trpišovský, provided an update on the 20-year-old player. Unfortunately, the news is not good. The Czech club loses its top scorer of the season (7 goals, 24 matches).

"Malick suffered a fibula fracture. He didn't know what had happened to him and tried to continue. It's a big loss for the team, he helped us a lot. I'm sorry for him, he was slowly reaching new heights. It hurts. He probably won't be back before the end of the season," said Trpišovský after the match.

Challenges increase for Pape Thiaw

This new injury adds to a long list of injured and unavailable players for the Lions of Teranga. Habib Diarra, Nicolas Jackson, and Iliman Ndiaye are already out due to physical issues. Meanwhile, Edouard Mendy and Ismail Jakobs are also among the injured. All of this complicates the task for coach Pape Thiaw, who is expected to announce the Senegal squad for the matches against Sudan and Togo in the 5th and 6th rounds of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in the coming days.

Lydiane N'Po |

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Sports journalist specializing in African football, covering football news, exclusive stories and digital content for passionate fans of the game.