Liverpool star Sadio Mane suspended in Africa Cup of Nations

Sadio Mane will not be available for the first match of Senegal in the Africa Cup of Nations.

Senegal coach Aliou Cissé confirmed that the 27-year-old was suspended for a match because he had received two yellow cards in the Nations Cup qualifiers.

He had been booked for their away win in Equatorial Guinea in 2018 and their 2-0 win against Madagascar. However, a decision was made only now – the week before the tournament.

Mane will therefore be out to face Tanzania on June 23, but is expected to return for the next two games of Senegal's group stage against Algeria and Kenya.

Cisse refused to be drawn into criticizing the governing bodies when he was asked the question and also seemed not to fear being his best player.

He said: "His absence should not disturb us.

"Certainly, the presence of Sadio is beneficial but without him we remain strong.

"The CAF [Confederation of African Football] decided, so we will not linger. "

The tournament, which takes place in Egypt, will start on Friday, June 21st when the host country plays Zimbabwe.

Egypt, headed by Mohamed Salah and with a home advantage, is considered the tournament's favorite, but Senegal and Ghana are also very popular.

But losing Mane for the opening match is clearly a blow. The winner of the European Cup was the top scorer in the Premier League last season, scoring 22 goals and sharing the Golden Shoe award with Salah and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

This is not the first time that he misses the first match of a tournament. He also missed Senegal 's first match in the 2015 Nations Cup in Equatorial Guinea because he was recovering from a strain on his calf.

Winning the Nations Cup with Senegal would crown a successful season for the player, who played a key role in a Liverpool team that won the Champions League and drove Manchester City to the bottom in the Premier League race .