Watford were reluctant to release the Senegal star for the AFCON due to his fitness problems.
Senegal included Ismaila Sarr in their squad for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations. The forward has not played for Watford since November, with the club hoping he would continue his recovery in England.
However, following a furious statement from Senegal’s FA, the Premier League side released Sarr to travel to Cameroon. He is now back in action for the Lions of Teranga ahead of their semi-final battle against Burkina Faso.
Speaking ahead of the game, Senegal manager Aliou Cisse opened up on how Watford finally released the forward.
He told London World: “Ismaila Sarr is here but it was very difficult to have him in the team.
“We had heated discussions with Watford,
“The Senegalese Federation and the club finally found an agreement and we thank them for all the effort and the understanding in the end.”
He added: “Sarr is an important player in my team and we saw what he did in the previous game and that is the kind of quality he has.
“It was very brilliant to see and we will keep on monitoring his health. We will make sure that he is healthy through out the tournament.
“He wanted to be here with his teammates and he showed so much commitment to be here so he is really happy.
“He is ready now and we need a player with his kind of skillset.”
If they manage to beat Burkina Faso on Wednesday, Cisse’s side will face the winner of the tie between Egypt and Cameroon in the final.
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