Africa Cup of Nations has persevered despite twin risks of infection and injury

The Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinals have come and gone. A Mohamed Salah-inspired Egypt will now face hosts Cameroon while Senegal will take on Burkina Faso in the other semifinal.

Only four matches remain, including the final on Feb. 6. And while the tournament has recovered from a slow start to provide more thrills in the knockout stages, it will also have lasting consequences for the number of injuries and coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases that have been recorded.

They are particularly concerning in a tight calendar packed with local and international competitions, starting with the delayed 2021 FIFA Club World Cup and the conclusion of the World Cup qualifiers, not to mention the domestic leagues around the globe and Qatar 2022 itself.

Egypt, who after AFCON will face Senegal in the World Cup decider next month, have particularly suffered in recent matches with two goalkeepers, Mohamed Elshenawy and Mohamed Abou Gabal, having to be replaced while defensive rock Ahmed Hegazi will now miss the rest of the tournament.

Meanwhile, Al-Ahly’s Akram Tawfik was injured in Egypt’s opening match of the tournament against Nigeria, and X-rays showed he had damaged his cruciate ligament, forcing him out of football for at least six months. With his season over, Tawfik now misses his club’s participation at the Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi — where his club will take on Mexico’s Monterrey on Feb. 5 — as well as having the uphill task of making Egypt’s squad should they qualify to the World Cup in Qatar at the end of the year.

European and international clubs with star players at AFCON will dread injuries, and Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp must have had his heart in his mouth when Senegal’s Sadio Mané collided with Cape