40 African players across 17 Premier League clubs will be absent for several matches during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco, scheduled from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.
“With AFCON taking place at the height of the European football season, several clubs will be without key first-team stars for up to six or seven matches, including league games and domestic cup fixtures,” the report states.
Arsenal, Chelsea, and Leeds United are the only Premier League clubs unaffected, while Sunderland and Wolves will lose multiple players. Notable players include Mohamed Salah, Alex Iwobi, and Ismaila Sarr.
Players attending AFCON 2025:
Algeria
Rayan Aït-Nouri — Manchester City
Burkina Faso
Dango Ouattara — Brentford
Bertrand Traoré — Sunderland
Cameroon
Carlos Baleba — Brighton
Bryan Mbeumo — Manchester United
Jackson Tchatchoua — Wolves
DR Congo
Axel Tuanzebe — Burnley
Arthur Masuaku — Sunderland
Noah Sadiki — Sunderland
Egypt
Mohamed Salah — Liverpool
Omar Marmoush — Manchester City
Ivory Coast
Evann Guessand — Aston Villa
Amad Diallo — Manchester United
Ibrahim Sangaré — Nottingham Forest
Willy Boly — Nottingham Forest
Simon Adingra — Sunderland
Emmanuel Agbadou — Wolves
Mali
Cheick Doucouré — Crystal Palace
Morocco
Amine Adli — Bournemouth
Chadi Riad — Crystal Palace
Adam Aznou — Everton
Noussair Mazraoui — Manchester United
Chemsdine Talbi — Sunderland
Mozambique
Reinildo Mandava — Sunderland
Nigeria
Frank Onyeka — Brentford
Christantus Uche — Crystal Palace
Alex Iwobi — Fulham
Calvin Bassey — Fulham
Samuel Chukwueze — Fulham
Tolu Arokodare — Wolves
Senegal
Ismaila Sarr — Crystal Palace
Iliman Ndiaye — Everton
Idrissa Gueye — Everton
Habib Diarra — Sunderland
Pape Matar Sarr — Tottenham
El Hadji Malick Diouf — West Ham
South Africa
Lyle Foster — Burnley
Tunisia
Hannibal Mejbri — Burnley
Zimbabwe
Marshall Munetsi — Wolves
Tawanda Chirewa — Wolves