Exhausted Percy Tau doubtful for Al Ahly’s big assignment
Exhausted Percy Tau doubtful for Al Ahly’s big assignment
Bafana Bafana star Percy Tau is a major doubt for Al Ahly’s next big assignment allegedly due to fatigue. The Egyptian giants are preparing for a 2024 CAF Champions’ League Group D meeting with CS Belouizdad. The Reds will take on the Algerian hosts on Friday evening.
Why Percy Tau might not feature for Al Ahly on Friday
Most players for the CAF Champions League holders have returned to training at El Tetsh Stadium. However, there were questions on the availability of Percy Tau. Filgoal.com reports that the Lion of Judah is battling fatigue due to the demands of playing at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals. It means the Marcel Koller-coached Cairo-based side will his services.
The former Mamelodi Sundowns winger Percy Tau featured in six out of seven games for South Africa at the tournament. Coach Hugo Broos dropped the ex-Brighton & Hove Albion player from the starting line-up of the squad that edged out the Democratic Republic of Congo on penalties to win Afcon bronze medal. The charges for the Belgian returned home on Wednesday morning.
How did Al Ahly star Percy Tau perform at Afcon?
Percy Tau scored once and missed one penalty in six games he played in Ivory Coast. Bafana Bafana started the tournament with a 2-0 loss to Mali before bouncing back to thump Namibia 4-0. A goalless draw with Tunisia was followed by an impressive 2-0 beating of Morocco in a round-of-16 match. Broos-led team marched on to the quarterfinal stage where they also shrugged off Cape Verde on post-match penalties. The match had ended goalless in regulation and extra time to pave the way for the penalties. Goalkeeper Ronwen Williams proved to be the hero for the 1996 champions. The Sundowns man saved four spot-kicks to secure the 2010 World Cup hosts a passage to the semifinal. The journey for South Africa ended in the semifinal when Nigeria defeated them on post-match penalties.
How curtain went down on Afcon
The curtain went down on the continental competition on Sunday when the hosts Ivory Coast won the championship after beating Nigeria 2-1. The conclusion of Afcon has paved the way for the resumption of domestic fixtures in Africa. The highlight of Friday is the meeting between Al Ahly and CS Belouizdad. However, the holders have been dealt a blow due to injuries. Apart from doubts on Percy Tau, Malian midfielder Aliou Dieng has also been ruled out through injury. Tunisian winger Mohamed Dhaoui is also out injured.
Who else is injured for the CAF Champions League holders?
“Aliou Dieng continued his recovery program to recover from his injury and he will miss our trip to Algeria. Also, Mohamed Dhaoui “Cristo” started running on the grass as part of his rehabilitation programme,” Al Ahly website www.alahlyegypt.com reports. “Our goalkeepers, Mostafa Shobeir, Mahmoud El Zanfaly, Hamza Alaa, and Mostafa Makhlouf, did individual physical training.”