Tom Saintfiet sweating over the fitness of vital forward ahead of March’s major AFCON deciders

Ebrima Colley may struggle to find fitness in time for Angola

Abdoulie Bah reporting …

Two weeks ago, Hellas Verona confirmed Gambian international Ebrima Colley and teammate Nikola Kalinic suffered injuries but are not sure how long the strikers will be out for yet.

Kalinic pulled out before the 2-1 Serie A victory over Parma on February 15th with a muscular issue

It has now been diagnosed as a Grade I-II tear of the femoral bicep in his right thigh.

Meanwhile, Colley started the match and limped off following an awkward fall.

A statement according to Italian media reports confirms the Gambian has sprained his left knee with damage to the collateral medial ligament.

“The recovery time is currently not quantifiable and depends on the progress of the two players.”

It is nonetheless to be assumed both will be out of action for several weeks

Colley the impact sub

Gambia is scheduled to entertain Angola, March 25, on match day 5 of AFCON qualifying before flying out to Kinshasa to wrap up matters against DR Congo three days later.

Ebrima Colley netted his first Serie A goal with a second-half header as Hellas Verona crumbled 3-1 to AS Roma at Stadio Olimpico back in January and has made a number of super sub appearances for the scorpions emerging as one of the first trusted names off the bench for Tom Saintfiet in the current run of qualifiers.

The looming penultimate and final round of games come as Africa's less-heralded footballing nations are on the rise, with Gambia, notably, delivering remarkable performances and currently leading the the group. With roughly three weeks to go, Gambia’s Belgian Head Coach and the long glory-starved supporters will be keeping fingers crossed for the Verona man’s speedy recovery as the dream for an elusive AFCON birth nears realization.