Senegal’s win over Tunisia in the semifinals of the Africa Cup of Nations came at a cost, after dependable defender Kalidou Koulibaly was yellow-carded, and will consequently miss the final match.

Koulibaly needed to avoid caution in the match having been booked in the knockout match against Uganda, but went into the referee’s book in the second half of the showdown on Sunday after he was adjudged to have used his elbow to block a goal-bound shot inside the box.

The resulting penalty was however saved by the keeper, helping his side stay in the game to eventually pick the finals ticket.

This will be a big blow to coach Aliou Cisse, who will be forced to reshuffle his backline as they aim to lift Africa’s biggest football prize.
The Napoli defender has been in good form for both club and country and demonstrated once again why he is considered one of the best defenders around.

He marshaled his Senegal backline with assured performances and has conceded only once, against Algeria in the current AFCON tournament.