Fifa suspended Senegal international Pape Gueye hours before he was due to line up in the Africa Cup of Nations finals on Friday because of a long-running transfer dispute between his club, Olympique Marseille, and Watford.

The 22-year-old had been in the line-up to take on Guinea in a Group B match in Bafoussam, but was taken off the team sheet minutes before kick off, coach Aliou Cisse said after the match which ended goalless.

“Pape Gueye had an administrative problem just before the match kicked off. Five minutes before, we were notified that Fifa suspended him over a transfer between his club, Marseille, and Watford,” Cisse told reporters.

In another match, Ghana had to settle for a 1-1 draw as Gabon struck two minutes from time through Jim Allevinah to put the campaign of the four-time champions in peril after a bad-tempered clash on Friday.

Ghana’s captain Andre Ayew blasted home a superb left-foot shot for an 18th minute lead but the result leaves them with one point from two Group C matches and in danger of elimination if they do not win their last game against Comoros next Tuesday.

A testy encounter ended in scuffles and a red card for Ghana’s Benjamin Tetteh for his part in the post-match punch up.

Gabon were not allowed to field captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who although out of Covid-19 isolation was not allowed to play by the Confederation of African Football.

Ghana, who won the last of their Cup of Nations titles 40 years ago, had lost their opener to Morocco and needed victory to put themselves back in contention for a second round place.