FIFA has granted top European clubs an additional week before they have to release their star players for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). This decision comes as a relief to clubs like Liverpool, Manchester United, and Paris Saint-Germain who were facing the prospect of losing key players for up to five weeks during the 24-nation tournament in Morocco from December 21 to January 18.
Star players such as Mohamed Salah of Liverpool, Bryan Mbeumo of Manchester United and Achraf Hakimi of Paris Saint-Germain will now be able to play for their respective clubs until December 15 before joining their national teams at AFCON. This extension was announced by FIFA on Wednesday after fruitful consultations with key stakeholders.
Previously, these players would have been required to report for international duty by December 8. This could have left English Premier League clubs without vital players for up to seven or even eight league matches during a particularly busy part of the season.
Impact on Premier League teams
The timing of the competition poses challenges especially for high-flying Sunderland and rock-bottom Wolverhampton Wanderers who could potentially be without up to seven and five players respectively.
Liverpool will miss Egypt forward Salah while Manchester City will be without his international team-mate Omar Marmoush and Algeria’s left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri. Meanwhile, United stands to lose Cameroon’s Mbeumo, Ivory Coast winger Amad Diallo and Morocco full-back Noussair Mazraoui.
The decision by FIFA came after "fruitful consultations led by FIFA with key stakeholders" according to a statement released by them. The Confederation of African Football (CAF), which organizes AFCON also demonstrated a spirit of solidarity that helped reduce impact on various parties involved. This move by FIFA is a welcome one for the clubs as it softens the blow of losing key players during a crucial part of the season. It also highlights FIFA's commitment to balancing the interests of national teams and clubs, ensuring that both can perform at their best in their respective competitions.
