2025 AFCON Could Cause Premier League Players to Miss Games
The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) has always been a challenging time for Premier League managers, as they have to bid farewell to some of their star players who represent their countries in the tournament. And it seems like this headache might continue next year as well. Key players like Mohamed Salah and Andre Onana have already missed Premier League fixtures this year while playing in the AFCON, with Salah even returning to Liverpool with an injury. But what about the next AFCON? When is it due to take place?
Originally, this year’s AFCON was supposed to be held in 2023, hosted by Ivory Coast. However, due to concerns about the impact of the tropical rainy season, the tournament was delayed. As a result, the event is now scheduled to take place for two consecutive years, in 2024 and 2025. But the exact dates for AFCON 2025 are still uncertain, especially with plans for an expanded 32-team Club World Cup, for which two African teams have already qualified. This throws the dates for AFCON 2025 into question.
Morocco will be hosting the 2025 AFCON tournament, taking over from Guinea who were stripped of their hosting rights due to inadequate infrastructure and facilities. Morocco hopes that successfully hosting the tournament will improve their future bids to host the World Cup, which they have unsuccessfully attempted five times. Matches will be held at five venues across the country.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) reportedly wants the 2025 event to take place in June and July, to avoid conflicts with the European football season. This move would allow European clubs to have their players available for the tournament. However, FIFA is concerned about a mid-year AFCON clashing with the FIFA Club World Cup, which is set to be held in the USA from June 13 to July 15, 2025. CAF and FIFA are currently in discussions to negotiate the dates for AFCON 2025.
The Africa Cup of Nations has a long history, starting in 1996. Originally held in the first three months of the year, CAF pledged in 2017 to move the tournament to June and July to avoid clashes with European clubs during the winter season. However, recent rescheduling has disrupted this commitment. The 2021 AFCON was initially planned for June and July 2021 but was moved to the winter months due to weather conditions in Cameroon. The 2023 AFCON, originally set for summer, was pushed back to January 2024 because of weather concerns in Ivory Coast.
This year’s AFCON has already seen more than 30 Premier League players leaving their clubs to represent their countries. Players like Mohamed Salah, Mohamed Elneny, and Bertrand Traoré are among those missing crucial Premier League fixtures. Manchester United’s Sofyan Amrabat, Amad Diallo, and Andre Onana are also participating in this year’s tournament. The current AFCON, hosted by Ivory Coast, will conclude on February 11.
While the exact dates for AFCON 2025 are yet to be confirmed, it is clear that the tournament could once again cause Premier League managers to face the dilemma of missing key players during an important period of the season. With discussions ongoing between CAF and FIFA, it remains to be seen how the scheduling conflicts will be resolved. For now, fans and bosses alike will have to wait and see what the future holds for AFCON and its impact on European football.