Ivory Coast's Aurier out for next game but not the tournament

CAIRO (Reuters) - Ivory Coast captain Serge Aurier will miss his team's next Africa Cup of Nations match but his tournament is not necessarily over as he had previously suggested.

(Reuters)

Aurier suffered an ankle injury as his side went down 1-0 to Morocco in Cairo on Thursday and will miss their last Group D game, against Namibia on Monday, coach Ibrahim Kamara said on Sunday.

“It’s true he was hurt in the last game and he won’t be playing tomorrow,” Kamara told reporters at the pre-match news conference.

“The medical staff will be treating him and we hope they will get him ready for the matches to come."

Aurier had told reporters straight after Friday’s game that he thought the injury could end his tournament.

The Ivorians are not yet sure of progress to the last 16 but are fancied to beat Namibia to ensure a place in the knockout stage.

(Reporting by Mark Gleeson; Editing by Clare Fallon)