LunagisthubAFCON 2025: Premier League Teams in Crisis as Star Players Depart
The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is set to kick off on December 21, 2025, and will run until January 18, 2026, in Morocco. This timing coincides with the Premier League’s busy festive period, potentially causing teams to miss up to 6-7 league games per player if their national side advances deep into the tournament. Around 47-51 Premier League players are expected to participate, representing 24 African nations .
Top-Impacted Teams
– Sunderland:With nine players in contention for call-ups, Sunderland could be the hardest hit. Key players include:
– Chemsdine Talbi (Morocco)
– Habib Diarra (Senegal)
– Reinildo (Mozambique)
– Simon Adingra (Ivory Coast)
– Bertrand Traore (Burkina Faso)
-Nottingham Forest:Forest will be without six key players, including:
– Serge Aurier (Ivory Coast)
– Willy Boly (Ivory Coast)
– Ibrahim Sangare (Ivory Coast)
– Cheikhou Kouyate (Senegal)
– Moussa Niakhate (Senegal)
– Ola Aina (Nigeria)
– Wolverhampton Wanderers:Wolves will miss four players, including:
– Emmanuel Agbadou (Ivory Coast)
– Jackson Tchatchoua (Cameroon)
– Marshall Munetsi (Zimbabwe)
– Tawanda Chirewa (Zimbabwe)
– Tolu Arokodare (Nigeria)
Other Affected Teams
-Crystal Palace: Ismaila Sarr (Senegal), Chadi Riad (Morocco), Cheick Doucoure (Mali), and Christantus Uche (Nigeria) will be away.
-Liverpool: Mohamed Salah (Egypt) will miss several games, including against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Leeds United, and potentially Burnley.
-Manchester United: Andre Onana (Cameroon), Sofyan Amrabat (Morocco), and Amad Diallo (Ivory Coast) will depart .
Impact on the Premier League
The absence of these key players will undoubtedly affect the teams’ performance and league standings. Teams with limited squad depth and heavy reliance on African players will struggle during this period. Meanwhile, clubs with strong backup options and a well-rounded squad may be better equipped to handle the absence of their star players.
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