41 Premier League Players Who Will Be At The African Cup of Nation - January 2022 [View Full List Here]

 

The Africa Cup of Nations has already been postponed twice but is finally scheduled to get underway in January, players from 16 different Premier League clubs are likely to participate and miss the league fixtures during the period. 

Rumours had begun circulating that the tournament was in doubt due to concerns over the spread of the new valiant of Covid called Omicron; already found in Cameroon. Second, the infrastructures are not in top shape. The tournament was pushed back,  due to fears that the Cameroonian summer would be too hot and the infrastructures not be ready. 

With the competition due to take place between January 9 and February 6, the Confederation of African Football have suggested that “urgent attention” needs to be paid to some areas of the tournament but noted that Cameroon had made “progress”. However, there was no mention of Afcon being cancelled or postponed.

On the other hand, the European Club Association, an independent body that represents clubs across Europe, has expressed its “deep concerns” regarding player welfare before the tournament, adding that the public health situation “continues to deteriorate in an alarming manner”.  A sought of exerggeration, but the real concern being as many African players leaving for the tournament. 

That means that from late December, Premier League clubs for instance could be missing a host of players from the participating countries.

Liverpool‘s title race is set to be heavily affected with Sadio Mane’s Senegal, Mo Salah’s Egypt and Naby Keita’s Guinea all having qualified.

Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who plays for Gabon, and Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez, who represents Algeria, are among the other high-profile Premier League stars expected to be involved.

If, according to reports, they are set to fly out after Boxing Day, they will be in line to miss five game weeks. Salah and Mane, for example, could potentially be absent for Liverpool’s fixtures against Leicester, Chelsea, Brentford, Crystal Palace and Burnley depending on how far their national teams progress. Watford stand to be the worst affected, with five members of their current squad taking part.

Here’s every team who could be missing players if Afcon proceeds as planned. Leeds, Newcastle, Norwich and Tottenham are the only teams without any eligible players. 

Arsenal

1. Thomas Partey (Ghana)

2. Mohamed Elneny (Egypt)

3. Pierre Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon)

4. Nicolas Pepe (Ivory Coast)

Aston Villa

5. Mahmoud Trezeguet (Egypt)

6. Bertrand Traore (Burkina Faso)

7. Marvelous Nakamba (Zimbabwe)

Brentford

8. Julian Jeanvier (Guinea)

9. Frank Onyeka (Nigeria)

10. Tariqe Fosu-Henry (Ghana)

Brighton

11. Yves Bissouma (Mali)

Burnley

12. Maxwel Cornet (Ivory Coast)

Chelsea

13. Edouard Mendy (Senegal)

14. Hakim Ziyech (Morocco)

Crystal Palace

15. Cheikhou Kouyate (Senegal)

16. Jeffrey Schlupp (Ghana)

17. Jordan Ayew (Ghana)

18  Wilfried Zaha (Ivory Coast)

Everton

19. Jean-Philippe Gbamin (Ivory Coast)

20. Alex Iwobi (Nigeria)

Leicester

21. Daniel Amartey (Ghana)

22. Nampalys Mendy (Senegal)

23. Wilfred Ndidi (Nigeria)

24. Kelechi Iheanacho (Nigeria)

Liverpool

25. Mo Salah (Egypt)

26. Naby Keita (Guinea)

27. Sadio Mane (Senegal)

Manchester City

29. Riyad Mahrez (Algeria)

Manchester United

30. Eric Bailly (Ivory Coast)

31. Amad Diallo (Ivory Coast)

Southampton

32. Moussa Djenepo (Mali)

33. Mohammed Salisu (Ghana)

Watford

34. Peter Etebo (Nigeria)

35  William Troost-Ekong (Nigeria)

36. Adam Masina (Morocco)

37. Ismaila Sarr (Senegal)

38. Emmanuel Dennis (Nigeria)

West Ham

39. Said Benrahma (Algeria)

Wolves

40. Romain Saiss (Morocco)

41. Willy Boly (Ivory Coast