Senegal coach Giresse hits back at Demba Ba over AFCON axing - 'I won four matches without you'

Senegal coach Alain Giresse has hit back at his angry striker Demba Ba by implying that he is not needed in the Teranga Lions squad for this month's Africa Cup of Nations.

This comes after the Turkey-based striker launched a scathing attack on the Frenchman for leaving him out of the squad for the tournament in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

The former Chelsea striker Ba was left fuming after being left out of Senegal's squad for the tournament with the striker daring the coach to come out with the reasons.

The in-form Senegal striker vowed to destroy coach Giresse’s reasons for dropping him from the preliminary 28-man squad for January’s Africa Cup of Nations.

Now the French coach has hit back at the striker saying that he won four qualifiers without him, implying he is not needed in the squad.

"I remember that Senegal played six games in qualifying and we won four games without him (Demba Ba). I think that he missed," Giresse.

"The coach has still got the right to make choices. This is the reality. That is all."

Giresse overlooked Ba in favour of striking options Diafra Sakho, Henri Saivet and Sadio Mane, something which has left the Besiktas striker dismayed.

Ba expressed his anger after missing out on the 28-man Senegalese provisional squad for Equatoria Guinea from mid January to early February 2015.

The former Chelsea and Newcastle United striker called for the national team coach Alain Giresse to explain why he was left out despite having scored 16 goals in 19 appearances for his current club so far this season.

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Ba joined Turkish giants Besiktas from Chelsea over the summer and has been in fine form for the Istanbul side.

The 29-year-old has bagged eight goals in 12 Super Lig appearances, as well as striking another eight times in Besiktas' Champions League and Europa League campaigns.

He has 21 caps for Senegal to his name, with a return of four goals.