The country’s football federation said on Sunday that
Watford told it on Friday it would not be releasing the highly rated midfielder
for the tournament in Cameroon which kicks off next Sunday and where Senegal
are one of the favourites.
“The English club Watford notified on the basis of spurious
arguments its decision to block the player Ismaila Sarr, who has expressed his
desire to join the Senegalese selection for the Cup of Nations,” said a
statement signed by the Senegal Football Federation General Secretary Victor
Seh Cisse.
“The FSF [Senegal football governing body] responded
immediately to confirm the player’s call-up and the club’s obligation to
release the player by no later than January 3.”
It added Senegal would take the matter up with FIFA if “Watford
persists in its deliberate refusal to release the player”.
“The FSF wishes to express its deep condemnation of the
disrespectful, pernicious and discriminatory behaviour of Watford who seek by
all means to prevent a player from playing with his national team.
“Africa, its football and its footballers deserve the same
respect as that accorded to other continents, confederations and players. The
FSF will take all the necessary action to ensure that the basic right of its
footballers to play for their country is respected.”
The Senegalese football federation’s statement comes amid an
escalating row over English clubs refusing or delaying African players’
departure to take part in the tournament.
Former England international player Ian Wright said he was
even incensed by some of the media outlets’ coverage of the 24-team tournament
which he described as tinged with racism.
“We played our Euros across 10 countries in the middle of a
pandemic and there’s no issue at all. But Cameroon, a single country hosting a
tournament, is a problem,” he said.
“There are players getting asked if they will be honouring
the call-ups to their national teams. Imagine if that was an England player
representing the Three Lions. Can you imagine the furore?”
Wright’s opinion was shared by former French international
and Crystal Palace coach Patrick Vieira who asked that the tournament be shown
more respect.
“I respect and understand the passion and the importance to
players to go and represent their country so I will never stop any player going
to play the Africa Cup of Nations,” said Viera.
“I believe that that competition needs to be more respected
– because this competition is as important as the European Championships,”
Vieira continued, calling on European journalists to take a greater interest in
the competition.
Watford has not commented but this is not their first run-in
with an African football federation.
The Premier League outlet, which sits at the bottom of the
table, has already refused to allow Nigeria striker Emmanuel Dennis to join up
with his country, saying the Nigerian Football Federation did not call him up
in time, missing the deadline to inform the club of his selection.
Nigeria did not contest the claim and have since replaced
Dennis in their squad.
Watford, who lost in stoppage time to Tottenham Hotspur on
Sunday and slipped closer to the relegation zone, will lose three other players
to the tournament – William Troost Ekong of Nigeria and the Moroccan pair of
Imran Louza and Adam Masina.