Arjun Menon
The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) gets underway on Sunday, 21 December, when hosts Morocco face Comoros in Rabat. Africa’s flagship international tournament will run until 18 January 2026, and once again the Premier League will be heavily represented.
All 24 qualified nations have now confirmed their squads, with 62 UK-based players selected, including 32 from the Premier League. Only six nations — Benin, Botswana, Comoros, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Sudan — arrive without any UK-based players.
AFCON 2025 Key Dates
Premier League clubs are required to release players from Monday, 15 December, in line with FIFA regulations.
- Group stage: 21–31 December
- Last 16: 3–6 January
- Quarter-finals: 9–10 January
- Semi-finals: 14 January
- Third-place play-off: 17 January
- Final: 18 January
With six Premier League rounds, the FA Cup third round and the EFL Cup semi-finals all scheduled during this period, some clubs face losing key players for up to eight domestic fixtures.
Premier League Stars at AFCON 2025
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah is the tournament’s standout Premier League name, leading Egypt’s title bid alongside Omar Marmoush of Manchester City. Manchester United pair Bryan Mbeumo (Cameroon) and Amad Diallo (Ivory Coast) are also set to feature, while Senegal arrive with one of the strongest Premier League contingents.
Senegal lead the way with six Premier League players selected, followed by DR Congo, Ivory Coast and Nigeria, each with four.
Premier League Players by Nation
Egypt: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Omar Marmoush (Man City)
Senegal: Idrissa Gueye (Everton), Iliman Ndiaye (Everton), Ismaila Sarr (Crystal Palace), Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham), El Hadji Malick Diouf (West Ham), Habib Diarra (Sunderland)
Nigeria: Alex Iwobi, Calvin Bassey, Samuel Chukwueze (Fulham), Frank Onyeka (Brentford)
Ivory Coast: Amad Diallo (Man Utd), Willy Boly, Ibrahim Sangaré (Nottingham Forest), Emmanuel Agbadou (Wolves)
DR Congo: Aaron Wan-Bissaka (West Ham), Axel Tuanzebe (Burnley), Arthur Masuaku, Noah Sadiki (Sunderland)
Cameroon: Bryan Mbeumo (Man Utd), Carlos Baleba (Brighton)
Burkina Faso: Dango Ouattara (Brentford), Bertrand Traore (Sunderland)
Algeria: Rayan Ait-Nouri (Man City)
Mali: Yves Bissouma (Tottenham)
Morocco: Noussair Mazraoui (Man Utd), Chemsdine Talbi (Sunderland)
Mozambique: Reinildo Mandava (Sunderland)
South Africa: Lyle Foster (Burnley)
Tunisia: Hannibal Mejbri (Burnley)
Zambia: Patson Daka (Leicester)
Zimbabwe: Tawanda Chirewa (Wolves)
Which Premier League Clubs Are Most Affected?
Sunderland are the hardest-hit club, with up to six players set to miss a large chunk of the festive schedule. Burnley, Fulham and Manchester United will each lose three players, while several clubs are affected on a smaller scale.
Premier League Club Breakdown
- Sunderland (6): Masuaku, Sadiki, Reinildo, Traoré, Talbi, Diarra
- Burnley (3): Tuanzebe, Foster, Mejbri
- Fulham (3): Iwobi, Bassey, Chukwueze
- Manchester United (3): Mbeumo, Diallo, Mazraoui
- Nottingham Forest (2): Boly, Sangaré
- Tottenham (2): Bissouma, Pape Matar Sarr
- West Ham (2): Wan-Bissaka, Diouf
- Wolves (2): Agbadou, Chirewa
Arsenal, Chelsea, Leeds and Newcastle will not lose any first-team players to AFCON 2025.
Who Is Not Going?
Several high-profile Premier League players will miss the tournament either through non-qualification or selection decisions. Tottenham’s Mohammed Kudus (Ghana), Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo, Everton’s Beto and Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh are among those whose nations failed to qualify.
Others, including Yoane Wissa (Newcastle) and Simon Adingra (Sunderland), were left out of their national squads.
Final Thoughts
AFCON 2025 once again underlines the Premier League’s influence on African football. With up to 42 top-flight players potentially missing action during a crucial phase of the domestic season, squad depth and fixture management will be vital for affected clubs.
For fans, the tournament promises elite international quality, familiar Premier League stars, and significant implications back home — both on the pitch and in the betting markets.