A complete of 47 Premier League gamers may miss a part of this season as a result of 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).
Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and new Manchester United signing Bryan Mbuemo are among the many greatest Premier League names who may characteristic on the competitors.
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Afcon, held biennially, has traditionally posed choice challenges for golf equipment throughout winter fixtures, with star gamers briefly unavailable.
The following version of the match, going down in Morocco, lasts for 4 weeks from Sunday, 21 December, 2025 to Sunday, 18 January, 2026.
Fifty-one gamers from African nations at the moment play within the Premier League, however with Ghana, Gambia and Guinea-Bissau all failing to qualify. Tottenham’s Mohammed Kudus and Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo are amongst 4 African gamers within the Premier League who won’t characteristic on the competitors.
Six rounds of Premier League fixtures are as a result of happen between these dates, in addition to the third spherical of the FA Cup and the semi-final first legs of the EFL Cup, that means that there’s a complete of eight matches some gamers might miss.
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Which gamers may very well be chosen?
Within the 2024-25 Premier League season, African trio Mohamed Salah, Bryan Mbuemo (pictured) and Yoane Wissa all featured within the competitors’s high 9 objective scorers [Getty Images]
In addition to Salah and Mbuemo, a number of different vital gamers may very well be known as up by their nations for this yr’s Afcon.
Egypt may additionally name up Salah’s worldwide team-mate Omar Marmoush of Manchester Metropolis, whereas Newcastle’s Yoane Wissa may characteristic for the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Everton midfielders Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gueye are each Senegal internationals, as is new West Ham left-back El Hadji Malick Diouf.
Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana could also be known as up by Cameroon, whereas Tottenham midfielders Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr may play for Mali and Senegal, respectively.
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Which golf equipment are affected probably the most?
Sunderland have 9 gamers from African nations of their squad who may all obtain call-ups to Afcon.
Wolves are among the many leaders in gamers who may head to Afcon with 5 gamers eligible.
Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace, who may also have European soccer to additionally negotiate this season, every have 4 gamers who might characteristic at Afcon.
Brighton are the one membership to have a number of African gamers that can’t characteristic at Afcon as a result of gamers’ nations not qualifying.
Arsenal, Chelsea and Leeds at the moment wouldn’t have an African participant of their squads.
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Which nations are greatest represented?
Sunderland’s summer season signing Simon Adingra was named Finest Younger Participant on the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (performed in 2024) [Getty Images]
Of the 24 nations at Afcon, 15 have no less than one participant from their nation at a Premier League membership.
Nigeria is at the moment the most well-liked African nation within the Premier League, with 9 gamers in English top-flight golf equipment.
Ivory Coast and Senegal are the following hottest with six gamers every at the moment at Premier League golf equipment.
There are 5 Premier League gamers from the Democratic Republic of Congo and 4 from Cameroon.
Algeria, Tunisia, South Africa, Angola and Mozambique all have one every.
Full checklist of Premier League gamers who may characteristic at Afcon
Bournemouth: Amine Adli (Morocco)
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Arsenal: No African gamers in present first-team squad
Aston Villa: Evann Guessand (Ivory Coast)
Brentford: Dango Ouattara (Burkina Faso), Frank Onyeka (Nigeria),
Brighton: Carlos Baleba (Cameroon)
Burnley: Axel Tuanzebe (Democratic Republic of Congo), Manuel Benson (Angola), Lyle Foster (South Africa), Hannibal Mejbri (Tunisia)
Chelsea: No African gamers in present first-team squad
Crystal Palace: Ismaila Sarr (Senegal), Christantus Uche (Nigeria), Cheick Doucoure (Mali), Chadi Riad (Morocco)
Everton: Iliman Ndiaye (Senegal), Idrissa Gueye (Senegal)
Fulham: Calvin Bassey (Nigeria), Alex Iwobi (Nigeria), Samuel Chukwueze (Nigeria)
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Leeds: No African gamers in present first-team squad
Liverpool: Mohamed Salah (Egypt)
Manchester Metropolis: Omar Marmoush (Egypt), Rayan Ait-Nouri (Algeria)
Manchester United: Noussair Mazraoui (Morocco), Amad Diallo (Ivory Coast), Andre Onana (Cameroon), Bryan Mbuemo (Cameroon)
Newcastle: Yoane Wissa (Democratic Republic of Congo)
Nottingham Forest: Ibrahim Sangare (Ivory Coast), Taiwo Awoniyi (Nigeria), Willy Boly (Ivory Coast), Ola Aina (Nigeria)
Sunderland: Chemsdine Talbi (Morocco), Blondy Nna Noukeu (Cameroon), Reinildo Mandava (Mozambique), Habib Diarra (Senegal), Simon Adingra (Ivory Coast), Arthur Masuaku (Democratic Republic of Congo), Noah Sadiki (Democratic Republic of Congo), Ahmed Abdullahi (Nigeria), Bertrand Traore (Burkina Faso)
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Tottenham: Yves Bissouma (Mali), Pape Matar Sarr (Senegal)
West Ham: El Hadji Malick Diouf (Senegal), Aaron Wan-Bissaka (Democratic Republic of Congo)
Wolves: Marshall Munetsi (Zimbabwe), Emmanuel Agbadou (Ivory Coast), Tolu Arokodare (Nigeria), Tawanda Chirewa (Zimbabwe), Jackson Tchatchoua (Cameroon)
African gamers whose nations haven’t certified for Afcon: Antoine Semenyo (Ghana and Bournemouth), Yankuba Minteh (Gambia and Brighton), Beto (Guinea-Bissau and Everton), Mohammed Kudus (Ghana and Tottenham)
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