DR Congo handed Wissa blow ahead of 2025 AFCONQ

09/17/2024 08:00 AM

One of DR Congo’s key forwards Yoane Wissa will be out for a “couple of months” after picking up an ankle injury this past weekend.

The 28-year-old limped off in the first half during an English Premier League clash between Brrenford and Manchester City after a challenge by midfielder Mateo Kovačić and will now be unavailable until November.

This means Wissa will miss next month’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Tanzania which will be played on a home and away basis by the Leopards of DR Congo.

“Wissa is, unfortunately, not good news: it looks like an injury that will be a couple of months,” Brentford manager Thomas Frank said on the club’s website.

“It's very frustrating. We talked about our many injuries last year, I hope I don’t have to talk too much about it this year, I maybe already have. We were unlucky with Igor [Thiago], unlucky with [Aaron] Hickey;

“We’ve then had two contact injuries with Mathias Jensen and Yoane Wissa, so that’s very frustrating. But that’s part of football, we move on, and we will find solutions,” he continued.

“It will leave a big hole. Everybody was saying we bought Igor Thiago to replace Ivan [Toney] – but we still had Wissa; we bought Igor Thiago to build the squad and provide competition in the squad.

“Wissa had a very good season last year and I thought he has started the season very well this year, with three goals in four games, that’s a very good number,” he added.

“He’s just been very important for us and that’s going to leave a hole. But, again, I will find a solution.”