FIFA announced on Wednesday that African stars including Mohamed Salah, Bryan Mbeumo and Achraf Hakimi will remain with their clubs until December 15 before joining their national teams for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). The 24-nation tournament is scheduled in Morocco from December 21 to January 18.
Top European clubs had been bracing for the potential loss of key players for up to five weeks, and the initial December 8 release date risked leaving teams without their stars for seven or eight fixtures during a congested season. The revised deadline, following consultations between FIFA, CAF and other stakeholders, provides clubs with a small reprieve. FIFA cited “fruitful consultations” and CAF’s “spirit of solidarity” in reaching the decision, and encouraged associations and clubs to engage in bilateral discussions to manage player availability.
The timing of the tournament presents challenges for several English clubs. Sunderland could be without up to seven players, while Wolverhampton Wanderers may lose five. Liverpool will be without Salah, Manchester City will miss Egypt’s Omar Marmoush and Algeria’s Rayan Ait-Nouri, and Manchester United will part with Cameroon’s Mbeumo, Ivory Coast’s Amad Diallo, and Morocco’s Noussair Mazraoui. In contrast, league leaders Arsenal, Chelsea and Leeds will not be affected.
PSG will lose Hakimi, the reigning African player of the year, while other European giants such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, AC Milan and Juventus have no players involved in the tournament. Bayern Munich’s Senegalese forward Nicolas Jackson, on loan from Chelsea, will also be at AFCON but will miss few Bundesliga matches due to the league’s winter break from December 22 to January 8.
Morocco, Egypt, Algeria and Senegal are considered among the favourites for Africa’s premier football competition, adding extra stakes for both national teams and their club sides.
