Senegal have imposed a media blackout after the publication of a story in the local press about skipper El-Hadji Diouf staying up late at a nightclub 48 hours before a crunch Africa Cup of Nations Group D tie against South Africa.
”We want to be focused on the match and do not want any distractions from the media,” said an official.
Aliou Goloko, a Senegalese reporter with allafrica.com</i>, said there was serious tension between the team and the local press corp in Kumasi after the report that Diouf and goalkeeper Tony Sylva broke the team curfew two days before the South Africa match.
”We have been barred from the team after this report that Diouf, Sylva and some other players were seen having a nice time just 48 hours to a crucial game,” said Goloko.
”It shows the level of commitment of the players to the national team. They cannot dare do same at their European clubs.”
Senegal have snubbed the press here since they arrived from Tamale ahead of their final Group D match later Thursday.
The Teranga Lions, semifinalists in Egypt two years ago, need to beat Bafana Bafana by a wide margin and hope Angola beat Tunisia by at least two clear goals to have any chance of making it to the last eight of the tournament. — AFP
