AFCON 2021: Watford Fail to Release Ismalia Sarr for Senegal

Watford Football Club have decided not to release Ismaila Sarr to Senegal for the Africa Cup of Nations that will be hosted in Cameroon from January 9th until February 6th, 2022.

The general secretary of the Senegalese Football Federation, Victor Seh Cisse, confirmed the news in a communique that was released in the early hours of Sunday, January 2nd, 2022. According to the report, Senegal is calling on FIFA to intervene in the situation.

The English club Watford notified on the basis of spurious arguments its decision to block the player Ismaila Sarr, who has expressed his desire to join the Senegalese selection for the Cup of Nations. The FSF responded immediately to confirm the player's call-up and the club's obligation to release the player by no later than January 3. It added Senegal would take the matter up with FIFA if Watford persists in its deliberate refusal to release the player. The FSF wishes to express its deep condemnation of the disrespectful, pernicious and discriminative behaviour of Watford who seek by all means to prevent a player from playing with his national team. Aftica, its football and its footballers deserve the same respect as that accorded to other continents, considerations and players. The FSF will take all the necessary action to ensure that the basic right of its footballers to play for their countryy is respected.

The Premier League strugglers have failed to release Nigeria's striker, Emmanuel Dennis but the Nigerian Football Federation did not take any action against the club.