Bafana Bafana star Percy Tau has big doubts about his next big assignment for Al Ahly, said to be due to fatigue. The Egyptian giants are preparing for their 2024 CAF Champions League Group D match against CS Beloizdad. The Reds face Algeria hosts on Friday night.
Why Percy Tau will not play against Al Ahly on Friday
Most of the players of the CAF Champions League holders have returned to training at El Tesh Stadium. However, there were doubts about Percy Tau's availability. Philgoal.com reported that the Lion of Judah is battling fatigue from the demands of playing in the 2023 African Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals. That means the Cairo-based team, coached by Marcel Koller, will contribute.
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Former Mamelodi Sundowns winger Percy Tau played in six of South Africa's seven games in the tournament. Manager Hugo Bruce left the former Brighton & Hove Albion player, who won the Afcon bronze medal after defeating the Democratic Republic of the Congo on penalties, from his team's starting XI. The Belgian suspect returned to the country on Wednesday morning.
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How did Al Ahly star Percy Tau perform at Afcon?
Percy Tau scored one goal and missed one penalty in the six games he played for Ivory Coast. Bafana Bafana started the tournament with a 2-0 loss to Mali, but bounced back and defeated Namibia 4-0. Following a goalless draw with Tunisia, they defeated Morocco 2-0 in the Round of 16. Brus' team advanced to the quarter-final stage, edging out Cape Verde with a penalty after the match. The match ended scoreless within the allotted time and went into overtime to pave the way for a penalty shootout. Goalkeeper Ronwen Williams proved to be a hero for the 1996 champions. The Sundowns player saved four spot-kicks to ensure a place in the semi-finals of the 2010 World Cup. South Africa's trip ended with Nigeria defeating South Africa in the post-match penalty shootout in the semi-finals.
How did the curtain fall on Afcon?
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The continental tournament ended on Sunday with hosts Ivory Coast defeating Nigeria 2-1 to win the championship. The conclusion of the Afcon paved the way for the resumption of domestic matches in Africa. Friday's highlight will be the match between Al Ahly and CS Beloizdad. However, Holder has been hit by injuries. Apart from doubts over Percy Tau, Malian midfielder Aliou Dieng is also ruled out due to injury. Tunisian winger Mohamed Daoui is also out with an injury.
Are there any other injuries to the CAF Champions League holders?
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“Aliou Dieng continues his recovery program to recover from his injury and will miss our trip to Algeria. Also, Mohamed Daoui “Christo” will be running on the grass as part of his rehabilitation program. ”, reports Al Ahly's website www.alahlyegypt.com. “Our goalkeepers Mostafa Shobair, Mahmoud El-Zanfari, Hamza Alaa and Mostafa Makhlouf underwent individual physical training.”