International break developments have delivered a double setback for Kaizer Chiefs. Following news surrounding Lebohang Maboe’s withdrawal from the Bafana Bafana setup, Flavio Silva will also miss out on international duty.
According to reports from kickoff.com, the forward has been ruled out of Guinea-Bissau’s upcoming 2027 AFCON qualifiers against Tanzania and Nigeria in Group L.
International Return Put on Hold
Guinea-Bissau head coach Emiliano Té originally named Silva in his provisional squad two weeks ago. However, ongoing injury concerns at the club level forced his exclusion from the final selection.
Silva made his international debut earlier this year during a friendly match against Burkina Faso. That debut ended in a heavy 5-0 defeat. His initial call-up came off the back of his goalscoring form for Amakhosi last season. Coach Té was eager to feature him again, but medical reality has intervened.
A Frustrating Season at Naturena
Injury has severely disrupted the 30-year-old’s current campaign. Silva has played just 45 minutes of football this season.
His sole appearance came on August 1 against Kruger United. Although he managed to score in that match, he was substituted at half-time due to an injury issue. Since then, the number 77 has missed seven consecutive matches for Amakhosi.
Rehabilitation and Focus Ahead
The Federação de Futebol da Guiné-Bissau had to leave Silva out as precautionary measures take priority. The forward will remain at Naturena to focus on his recovery. The primary target is to regain full fitness before Chiefs face Stellenbosch FC on October 17.
For Guinea-Bissau, the focus remains on reaching the next tournament following their absence from the edition in Morocco. Having featured in four consecutive tournaments prior to that missed edition, Té must now navigate a tough Group L qualifying campaign without his chief attacking option.
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