The Africa Cup of Nations has begun, and Everton have Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gana Gueye away at the tournament.
Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gana Gueye are away with Senegal and could miss up to seven Everton games depending on whether they advance to the latter stages of the competition.
Ndiaye and Gueye were both in action against DR Congo on Saturday afternoon and actually kicked off at the same time as the Burnley game.
The Toffees duo started in the 1-1 draw, and here’s what Senegal’s national media had to say about their performances.
Iliman Ndiaye impresses vs DR Congo
Seneweb have given their verdict on Ndiaye’s 88-minute performance in Senegal’s opening group game at AFCON.
The Everton talisman certainly made a positive impression.
“Deployed as a playmaker, he proved invaluable in retaining possession. Thanks to his technical ability, he was involved in the majority of attacking moves,” Senegal’s media wrote.
“In the second half, he maintained the same intensity and was instrumental in the equalising goal, setting up Ibrahim Mbaye for a pass.
“Creative and always available, he constantly troubled the Congolese defence. He was replaced by Cheikh Tidiane Sabaly (88th minute), who didn’t have enough time to make an impact.”
- 88 minutes
- 39 touches
- 86% pass accuracy
- 3 key passes
- 1 duel won
- Sofascore rating: 6.1
Idrissa Gueye dominates in midfield
The national media also rated Gueye’s display and were really pleased with how the 36-year-old performed in the middle of the park.
“Aggressive and invaluable in winning back possession, Idrissa Gana Gueye delivered another top-level performance.
“Available, focused, and creative, he was omnipresent in midfield. Drawing on his extensive experience at the highest level, he dictated the tempo effectively and covered a tremendous amount of ground.
“Despite being 36 years old, he remains a key component of Pape Thiaw’s system, despite competition from younger players like Lamine Camara and Pape Matar Sarr.”
- 90 minutes
- 79 touches
- 93% pass completion
- 3 ground duels won
- 3 aerial duels won
- Sofascore rating: 7.1
Receive a digest of our best Everton content each week direct to your mailbox
