Sheffield Wednesday’s Yan Valery says that his disappointment is ‘immense’ after Tunisia were knocked out of the Africa Cup of Nations over the weekend.

The Eagles of Carthage were the favourites as they went up against Mali in their Round of 16 clash on Saturday, but despite having a one-man advantage for the bulk of the game - and taking the lead in the 88th minute - they ended up being eliminated via a penalty shootout.

Valery, who went off in the second half of extra time, took to social media on Sunday night to convey his thanks to the Tunisian supporters, but also speak of his sadness at not progressing further into the competition. Manager, Sami Trabelsi, was fired shortly after their elimination.

Yan Valery’s AFCON disappointment

“I've long hesitated about what I wanted to say,” he said on Instagram. “But I still struggle to find the right words to express how I feel. What an honour to wear my country's coat of arms. However, the disappointment is immense to see our journey in this competition end here.

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“Despite everything, the goal remains the same and we will continue to work hard to achieve success. To the supporters, thank you for taking the time to come and support us. I am thankful for each and every one of you.S ee you next time. This chapter closes, but the story goes on.”

It remains to be seen when the full back will be able to return to action for Wednesday, with no word yet on whether him being replaced against Mali was due to injury, but Henrik Pedersen will be eager to have him back available to bolster the club’s depleted ranks as soon as possible.

Wednesday have a bit of time off now after a heavy festive schedule, with an FA Cup game against Brentford at Hillsborough on January 10th their next outing, followed by another home clash against Portsmouth a week later. Only time will tell whether Valery can feature in either.