Afcon 2025 moved to December

[wiseone]

Here goes:

Let us use the Premier League as our test case since that league has more SE players than any other league.

The Premier League suspended most games to allow FA Cup matches between January 7-22. African players departed for AFCON in early January at the earliest. Let us use Frank Onyeka (Brentford/Nigeria) and Andre Onana (Man United/Cameroon) as our player test cases:

Onyeka played every single match for Nigeria at the AFCON and played for a team that reached the final. Yet despite being with Nigeria for 4-5 weeks he missed only 3 Premier League matches (because of the winter break and Brentford was playing in the FA Cup).

Manchester United refused to release Onana for Cameroon's pre-tournament camp because they deemed his presence essential for an FA Cup match against a team that plays in the 3rd division. Onana missed a grand total of 0 Premier League matches (the only match he missed was an FA Cup match against a 4th division team). That is the only match out of the next 100 or so Manchester United matches that Onana will miss due to the AFCON. Similarly, Onyeka missed a grand total of 3 matches out of Brentford's 76 Premier League matches in 2 years.

The Bundesliga, La Liga, Ligue 1, and Serie A have their winter breaks between December and January so are not heavily impacted by pre-AFCON tournament camps because their teams are not playing anyway. The Premier League pauses games in early-late January for FA Cup fixtures.

So yeah, I call boolsheet on all these claims of how destabilising the AFCON is to European clubs.

The "concern" is overblown. The AFCON usually takes place during the winter break when most European leagues are on recess and the clubs do not have matches. Even the countries that have matches are usually playing cup matches for which clubs usually rest first team players and pick reserves/youth team players anyway (AKA games in which an African star player will not play anyway).

Given that 16 of the 24 AFCON players play only 4 or fewer matches at the AFCON (because they get eliminated in the group phase or round 2), and that top Premier League clubs play about 60 games per season, is it really that big of a deal for a player to miss 3-4 low priority cup matches every 120 club matches?

Not just a team losing a player but a player losing his place in the team.
It’s a real concern for players and I don’t think we as fans quite get what is at stake for them.
Unfortunately there are no easy answers.

I don’t know the answer to this question but there appears to be a lot of subjective opinion in your post, passed as fact.
It woulda been nice to check whether what you suggest is backable, especially your use of the word ‘most’.
AFCON usually runs into February, so no serious coach can effectively plan on the assumption that his players will be coming back to base in a week or ten days.

[Cellular]

How about we just cancel AFCON pata pata so both the EPL and players don't ever worry about losing each other?

Imagine an EPL club lose a player to afcon in the busy December period?

January 2026 make sense when there will be Euro WCQ

Not just a team losing a player but a player losing his place in the team.
It’s a real concern for players and I don’t think we as fans quite get what is at stake for them.
Unfortunately there are no easy answers.

And natives say, yes ooooo.

[King Futcha]

Imagine an EPL club lose a player to afcon in the busy December period?

January 2026 make sense when there will be Euro WCQ

Not just a team losing a player but a player losing his place in the team.
It’s a real concern for players and I don’t think we as fans quite get what is at stake for them.
Unfortunately there are no easy answers.

which players lost their place in their team by going to afcon 2023?

[Damunk]

Imagine an EPL club lose a player to afcon in the busy December period?

January 2026 make sense when there will be Euro WCQ

Not just a team losing a player but a player losing his place in the team.
It’s a real concern for players and I don’t think we as fans quite get what is at stake for them.
Unfortunately there are no easy answers.

which players lost their place in their team by going to afcon 2023?

I don’t know.
It’s not about picking and choosing names and dates. It’s not about one tournament.

But I am talking with an ex-EPL player at the moment on a related subject matter and he said among other things that it is a factor that every player has to and will always consider.
In his case, he was struggling to lock down a place in his team at a time when a new coach had just taken charge. He was trying to impress to get more regular playing time and knew that going away for up to four weeks would push him further back in the pecking order.

And for the players, it’s not only about actual games, but also about missing numerous team training sessions where they can catch the manager’s eye.
It’s a big deal for players. Much bigger than we bother to think. Sebi our own as fans na to whinge and even yab for being deprived of our maximum entertainment.

There’s a lot that goes on that we don’t know.
Those that honour the call should be appreciated (as they undoubtedly are), but those that don’t come shouldn’t be crucified.
Not everyone is an Osimhen or a Sallah that can just stroll back into the team.

[King Futcha]

Imagine an EPL club lose a player to afcon in the busy December period?

January 2026 make sense when there will be Euro WCQ

Not just a team losing a player but a player losing his place in the team.
It’s a real concern for players and I don’t think we as fans quite get what is at stake for them.
Unfortunately there are no easy answers.

which players lost their place in their team by going to afcon 2023?

I don’t know.
It’s not about picking and choosing names and dates. It’s not about one tournament.

But I am talking with an ex-EPL player at the moment on a related subject matter and he said among other things that it is a factor that every player has to and will always consider.
In his case, he was struggling to lock down a place in his team at a time when a new coach had just taken charge. He was trying to impress to get more regular playing time and knew that going away for up to four weeks would push him further back in the pecking order.

And for the players, it’s not only about actual games, but also about missing numerous team training sessions where they can catch the manager’s eye.
It’s a big deal for players. Much bigger than we bother to think. Sebi our own as fans na to whinge and even yab for being deprived of our maximum entertainment.

There’s a lot that goes on that we don’t know.
Those that honour the call should be appreciated (as they undoubtedly are), but those that don’t come shouldn’t be crucified.
Not everyone is an Osimhen or a Sallah that can just stroll back into the team.

since you mentioned it again i have to ask who did not stroll back in the team?

catch the managers eye? does he not notice them in training sessions from july to december and have an opinion on whether or not he should be in his first eleven?

rabiu has been better than his backup dolton all season, rabiu goes to afcon i now see the light dolton should have been first choice this entire time umm.

[delisyomie don]

where is your link that says December?? according to Google to various, it still says July / August 2025.

[The YeyeMan]

CAF is becoming a joke, they are the only federation that keeps moving and changing their tournament's date.

Where did you see this announcement?

[Damunk]

since you mentioned it again i have to ask who did not stroll back in the team?

I’m a bit shocked that you don’t seem able to fathom what I am saying unless I give you real life examples, ideally from the last AFCON.
I am actually giving feedback from an ex-EPL player but that doesn’t seem to be enough for you to break out of your concrete thinking and see things in a broad context.
Maybe every single player at the last AFCON simply strolled back into their teams in Europe, I wouldn’t know.
But I do know that what I’ve shared with you is definitely an issue for every player to weigh once taking time out from his club.

catch the managers eye? does he not notice them in training sessions from july to december and have an opinion on whether or not he should be in his first eleven?

Are you really serious with this response? It is Friday night after all.

rabiu has been better than his backup dolton all season, rabiu goes to afcon i now see the light dolton should have been first choice this entire time umm.

Apologies. I don’t quite get this. Who are these players?

[Bigpokey24]

CAF is becoming a joke, they are the only federation that keeps moving and changing their tournament's date.

Where did you see this announcement?

https://www.completesports.com/afcon-20 ... -december/
https://www.afrik-foot.com/en-ng/afcon- ... rge-danger

[King Futcha]

since you mentioned it again i have to ask who did not stroll back in the team?

I’m a bit shocked that you don’t seem able to fathom what I am saying unless I give you real life examples, ideally from the last AFCON.
I am actually giving feedback from an ex-EPL player but that doesn’t seem to be enough for you to break out of your concrete thinking and see things in a broad context.
Maybe every single player at the last AFCON simply strolled back into their teams in Europe, I wouldn’t know.
But I do know that what I’ve shared with you is definitely an issue for every player to weigh once taking time out from his club.

catch the managers eye? does he not notice them in training sessions from july to december and have an opinion on whether or not he should be in his first eleven?

Are you really serious with this response? It is Friday night after all.

rabiu has been better than his backup dolton all season, rabiu goes to afcon i now see the light dolton should have been first choice this entire time umm.

Apologies. I don’t quite get this. Who are these players?

i am completely sober thanks and was when i wrote that back to the topic at had,yes, in theory someone could lose their place for going to AFCON but we don't have to deal in theory we have https://www.transfermarkt.us/ livescore.com etc where we can look at actual data but if after multiple exchanges you can't provide one example, we can just leave it there, good day.

[ohenhen1]

There is going to be a couple of players that will come up with excuses to skip the tournament. They should keep it in Febuary. We need the winter break to prepare for the tournament.

[The YeyeMan]

CAF is becoming a joke, they are the only federation that keeps moving and changing their tournament's date.

Where did you see this announcement?

https://www.completesports.com/afcon-20 ... -december/
https://www.afrik-foot.com/en-ng/afcon- ... rge-danger

Thanks.

[anointed]

The "concern" is overblown. The AFCON usually takes place during the winter break when most European leagues are on recess and the clubs do not have matches. Even the countries that have matches are usually playing cup matches for which clubs usually rest first team players and pick reserves/youth team players anyway (AKA games in which an African star player will not play anyway).

Given that 16 of the 24 AFCON players play only 4 or fewer matches at the AFCON (because they get eliminated in the group phase or round 2), and that top Premier League clubs play about 60 games per season, is it really that big of a deal for a player to miss 3-4 low priority cup matches every 120 club matches?

Imagine an EPL club lose a player to afcon in the busy December period?

January 2026 make sense when there will be Euro WCQ

Not just a team losing a player but a player losing his place in the team.
It’s a real concern for players and I don’t think we as fans quite get what is at stake for them.
Unfortunately there are no easy answers.

Where and when did it take place?

[Babadee]

Imagine an EPL club lose a player to afcon in the busy December period?

January 2026 make sense when there will be Euro WCQ

Not just a team losing a player but a player losing his place in the team.
It’s a real concern for players and I don’t think we as fans quite get what is at stake for them.
Unfortunately there are no easy answers.

which players lost their place in their team by going to afcon 2023?

I don’t know.
It’s not about picking and choosing names and dates. It’s not about one tournament.

But I am talking with an ex-EPL player at the moment on a related subject matter and he said among other things that it is a factor that every player has to and will always consider.
In his case, he was struggling to lock down a place in his team at a time when a new coach had just taken charge. He was trying to impress to get more regular playing time and knew that going away for up to four weeks would push him further back in the pecking order.

And for the players, it’s not only about actual games, but also about missing numerous team training sessions where they can catch the manager’s eye.
It’s a big deal for players. Much bigger than we bother to think. Sebi our own as fans na to whinge and even yab for being deprived of our maximum entertainment.

There’s a lot that goes on that we don’t know.
Those that honour the call should be appreciated (as they undoubtedly are), but those that don’t come shouldn’t be crucified.
Not everyone is an Osimhen or a Sallah that can just stroll back into the team.

since you mentioned it again i have to ask who did not stroll back in the team?

catch the managers eye? does he not notice them in training sessions from july to december and have an opinion on whether or not he should be in his first eleven?

rabiu has been better than his backup dolton all season, rabiu goes to afcon i now see the light dolton should have been first choice this entire time umm.

Kelechi Ihenacho for one has not played for his club since afcon.

He was playing regularly b4 afcon and was out for a few weeks.

[1naija]

No offense to your ex player friend, but if he was struggling to hold down a position at his club, he shouldn't have made the AFCON squad in the first place. If he was struggling to impress his new coach before AFCON, then Clearly it wasn't AFCON that would have made him lose his place.

Imagine an EPL club lose a player to afcon in the busy December period?

January 2026 make sense when there will be Euro WCQ

Not just a team losing a player but a player losing his place in the team.
It’s a real concern for players and I don’t think we as fans quite get what is at stake for them.
Unfortunately there are no easy answers.

which players lost their place in their team by going to afcon 2023?

I don’t know.
It’s not about picking and choosing names and dates. It’s not about one tournament.

But I am talking with an ex-EPL player at the moment on a related subject matter and he said among other things that it is a factor that every player has to and will always consider.
In his case, he was struggling to lock down a place in his team at a time when a new coach had just taken charge. He was trying to impress to get more regular playing time and knew that going away for up to four weeks would push him further back in the pecking order.

And for the players, it’s not only about actual games, but also about missing numerous team training sessions where they can catch the manager’s eye.
It’s a big deal for players. Much bigger than we bother to think. Sebi our own as fans na to whinge and even yab for being deprived of our maximum entertainment.

There’s a lot that goes on that we don’t know.
Those that honour the call should be appreciated (as they undoubtedly are), but those that don’t come shouldn’t be crucified.
Not everyone is an Osimhen or a Sallah that can just stroll back into the team.

[King Futcha]

Imagine an EPL club lose a player to afcon in the busy December period?

January 2026 make sense when there will be Euro WCQ

Not just a team losing a player but a player losing his place in the team.
It’s a real concern for players and I don’t think we as fans quite get what is at stake for them.
Unfortunately there are no easy answers.

which players lost their place in their team by going to afcon 2023?

I don’t know.
It’s not about picking and choosing names and dates. It’s not about one tournament.

But I am talking with an ex-EPL player at the moment on a related subject matter and he said among other things that it is a factor that every player has to and will always consider.
In his case, he was struggling to lock down a place in his team at a time when a new coach had just taken charge. He was trying to impress to get more regular playing time and knew that going away for up to four weeks would push him further back in the pecking order.

And for the players, it’s not only about actual games, but also about missing numerous team training sessions where they can catch the manager’s eye.
It’s a big deal for players. Much bigger than we bother to think. Sebi our own as fans na to whinge and even yab for being deprived of our maximum entertainment.

There’s a lot that goes on that we don’t know.
Those that honour the call should be appreciated (as they undoubtedly are), but those that don’t come shouldn’t be crucified.
Not everyone is an Osimhen or a Sallah that can just stroll back into the team.

since you mentioned it again i have to ask who did not stroll back in the team?

catch the managers eye? does he not notice them in training sessions from july to december and have an opinion on whether or not he should be in his first eleven?

rabiu has been better than his backup dolton all season, rabiu goes to afcon i now see the light dolton should have been first choice this entire time umm.

Kelechi Ihenacho for one has not played for his club since afcon.

He was playing regularly b4 afcon and was out for a few weeks.

he lost his place to daka before afcon daka went to afcon and came right back into the starting lineup so i don't think we can count that one in my personal opinion.

[King Futcha]

No offense to your ex player friend, but if he was struggling to hold down a position at his club, he shouldn't have made the AFCON squad in the first place. If he was struggling to impress his new coach before AFCON, then Clearly it wasn't AFCON that would have made him lose his place.

Imagine an EPL club lose a player to afcon in the busy December period?

January 2026 make sense when there will be Euro WCQ

Not just a team losing a player but a player losing his place in the team.
It’s a real concern for players and I don’t think we as fans quite get what is at stake for them.
Unfortunately there are no easy answers.

which players lost their place in their team by going to afcon 2023?

I don’t know.
It’s not about picking and choosing names and dates. It’s not about one tournament.

But I am talking with an ex-EPL player at the moment on a related subject matter and he said among other things that it is a factor that every player has to and will always consider.
In his case, he was struggling to lock down a place in his team at a time when a new coach had just taken charge. He was trying to impress to get more regular playing time and knew that going away for up to four weeks would push him further back in the pecking order.

And for the players, it’s not only about actual games, but also about missing numerous team training sessions where they can catch the manager’s eye.
It’s a big deal for players. Much bigger than we bother to think. Sebi our own as fans na to whinge and even yab for being deprived of our maximum entertainment.

There’s a lot that goes on that we don’t know.
Those that honour the call should be appreciated (as they undoubtedly are), but those that don’t come shouldn’t be crucified.
Not everyone is an Osimhen or a Sallah that can just stroll back into the team.

always the voice of reason, unless we are talking about football, speaking of which i was watching marcus dupree highlights the other day, i know it was before your time but goodness, no wonder he is ranked ahead of you in OU's all time running backs list.

[Damunk]

No offence taken but I’m not here to score cheap points in case that’s what anyone is thinking.
I assume same goes with you.
Also, he’s not my friend. He’s exactly what I described him as being: an ex-EPL player of African heritage.

Now to your point.
There are all levels of players that get invited to African national teams for AFCON, not all of whom are club first-11 players.
Surely you know that.
We even have one of our very own: Iheanacho.
Unless you’re saying he shouldn’t have been invited - which is an entirely different argument I consider worth having.
Another is Semi Ajayi.
That’s two already in one of the strongest African teams.

So there are countless players that will consider the pros and cons of being away from their clubs.
My ‘friend’ categorised these players into 3 groups:
1. The top indispensable players that will walk right back into their teams on return eg Osimhen. Easy decision as long as they’re committed.
2. The permanent bench-warmers. They’re not playing and are way down the club’s pecking order, so might as well go play and try showing what you can do. Easy decision. Or even those on the way back from injury trying to achieve top match fitness.
3. Those in-between. In and out of the team, probably with a main rival dragging matter for the same position. That’s the hard one. Maybe a Chukwueze-type situation (these are not the specific examples he gave. I’m just suggesting).

But generally, even if you disagree, I don’t see how this point seems beyond contemplation and you guys just see it simply ias a black and white matter.
None of you are professional players, yet you think your opinions trump those of players who have actually been there, done it.
What’s with that?

No offense to your ex player friend, but if he was struggling to hold down a position at his club, he shouldn't have made the AFCON squad in the first place. If he was struggling to impress his new coach before AFCON, then Clearly it wasn't AFCON that would have made him lose his place.

Imagine an EPL club lose a player to afcon in the busy December period?

January 2026 make sense when there will be Euro WCQ

Not just a team losing a player but a player losing his place in the team.
It’s a real concern for players and I don’t think we as fans quite get what is at stake for them.
Unfortunately there are no easy answers.

which players lost their place in their team by going to afcon 2023?

I don’t know.
It’s not about picking and choosing names and dates. It’s not about one tournament.

But I am talking with an ex-EPL player at the moment on a related subject matter and he said among other things that it is a factor that every player has to and will always consider.
In his case, he was struggling to lock down a place in his team at a time when a new coach had just taken charge. He was trying to impress to get more regular playing time and knew that going away for up to four weeks would push him further back in the pecking order.

And for the players, it’s not only about actual games, but also about missing numerous team training sessions where they can catch the manager’s eye.
It’s a big deal for players. Much bigger than we bother to think. Sebi our own as fans na to whinge and even yab for being deprived of our maximum entertainment.

There’s a lot that goes on that we don’t know.
Those that honour the call should be appreciated (as they undoubtedly are), but those that don’t come shouldn’t be crucified.
Not everyone is an Osimhen or a Sallah that can just stroll back into the team.

[1naija]

He was a beast.

No offense to your ex player friend, but if he was struggling to hold down a position at his club, he shouldn't have made the AFCON squad in the first place. If he was struggling to impress his new coach before AFCON, then Clearly it wasn't AFCON that would have made him lose his place.

Imagine an EPL club lose a player to afcon in the busy December period?

January 2026 make sense when there will be Euro WCQ

Not just a team losing a player but a player losing his place in the team.
It’s a real concern for players and I don’t think we as fans quite get what is at stake for them.
Unfortunately there are no easy answers.

which players lost their place in their team by going to afcon 2023?

I don’t know.
It’s not about picking and choosing names and dates. It’s not about one tournament.

But I am talking with an ex-EPL player at the moment on a related subject matter and he said among other things that it is a factor that every player has to and will always consider.
In his case, he was struggling to lock down a place in his team at a time when a new coach had just taken charge. He was trying to impress to get more regular playing time and knew that going away for up to four weeks would push him further back in the pecking order.

And for the players, it’s not only about actual games, but also about missing numerous team training sessions where they can catch the manager’s eye.
It’s a big deal for players. Much bigger than we bother to think. Sebi our own as fans na to whinge and even yab for being deprived of our maximum entertainment.

There’s a lot that goes on that we don’t know.
Those that honour the call should be appreciated (as they undoubtedly are), but those that don’t come shouldn’t be crucified.
Not everyone is an Osimhen or a Sallah that can just stroll back into the team.

always the voice of reason, unless we are talking about football, speaking of which i was watching marcus dupree highlights the other day, i know it was before your time but goodness, no wonder he is ranked ahead of you in OU's all time running backs list.

[1naija]

I am a bit confused about your position on this. When do you think is the best time to hold the AFCON so fringe African players struggling to make their European club squad can have a better chance of making it? And how come players like Osimhen, Boniface, Moses, Iwobi, Bassey, Chukwueze, Aina, and other regular players don't worry about losing their spots because they played in the AFCON?

No offence taken but I’m not here to score cheap points in case that’s what anyone is thinking.
I assume same goes with you.
Also, he’s not my friend. He’s exactly what I described him as being: an ex-EPL player of African heritage.

Now to your point.
There are all levels of players that get invited to African national teams for AFCON, not all of whom are club first-11 players.
Surely you know that.
We even have one of our very own: Iheanacho.
Unless you’re saying he shouldn’t have been invited - which is an entirely different argument I consider worth having.
Another is Semi Ajayi.
That’s two already in one of the strongest African teams.

So there are countless players that will consider the pros and cons of being away from their clubs.
My ‘friend’ categorised these players into 3 groups:
1. The top indispensable players that will walk right back into their teams on return eg Osimhen. Easy decision as long as they’re committed.
2. The permanent bench-warmers. They’re not playing and are way down the club’s pecking order, so might as well go play and try showing what you can do. Easy decision. Or even those on the way back from injury trying to achieve top match fitness.
3. Those in-between. In and out of the team, probably with a main rival dragging matter for the same position. That’s the hard one. Maybe a Chukwueze-type situation (these are not the specific examples he gave. I’m just suggesting).

But generally, even if you disagree, I don’t see how this point seems beyond contemplation and you guys just see it simply ias a black and white matter.
None of you are professional players, yet you think your opinions trump those of players who have actually been there, done it.
What’s with that?

No offense to your ex player friend, but if he was struggling to hold down a position at his club, he shouldn't have made the AFCON squad in the first place. If he was struggling to impress his new coach before AFCON, then Clearly it wasn't AFCON that would have made him lose his place.

Imagine an EPL club lose a player to afcon in the busy December period?

January 2026 make sense when there will be Euro WCQ

Not just a team losing a player but a player losing his place in the team.
It’s a real concern for players and I don’t think we as fans quite get what is at stake for them.
Unfortunately there are no easy answers.

which players lost their place in their team by going to afcon 2023?

I don’t know.
It’s not about picking and choosing names and dates. It’s not about one tournament.

But I am talking with an ex-EPL player at the moment on a related subject matter and he said among other things that it is a factor that every player has to and will always consider.
In his case, he was struggling to lock down a place in his team at a time when a new coach had just taken charge. He was trying to impress to get more regular playing time and knew that going away for up to four weeks would push him further back in the pecking order.

And for the players, it’s not only about actual games, but also about missing numerous team training sessions where they can catch the manager’s eye.
It’s a big deal for players. Much bigger than we bother to think. Sebi our own as fans na to whinge and even yab for being deprived of our maximum entertainment.

There’s a lot that goes on that we don’t know.
Those that honour the call should be appreciated (as they undoubtedly are), but those that don’t come shouldn’t be crucified.
Not everyone is an Osimhen or a Sallah that can just stroll back into the team.

[Damunk]

Guy, are you following?
How do you know they don’t ‘worry’ about it?
Have you some kind of inside knowledge of the over 150+ Europe-based African players that were at the last AFCON?

And are the Nigerian stars u mention representative of the majority of such players?
The fact that they make the decision to honour the invitation in no way implies it is not a major consideration at the time of decision.

As for my position on the timing of AFCON, there are pros and cons to whenever it is played and where. For example in South Africa the rainy season is actually this same December to February we are proposing. Same applies to the coastal areas of North African countries, starting about November. Meanwhile northern African countries and South Africa are major players in the AFCON hosting game, unlike Central and East Africa.

I just want most if not all of our best African players attending, whenever it is played.
That way, the brand will continue to grow.



.

I am a bit confused about your position on this. When do you think is the best time to hold the AFCON so fringe African players struggling to make their European club squad can have a better chance of making it? And how come players like Osimhen, Boniface, Moses, Iwobi, Bassey, Chukwueze, Aina, and other regular players don't worry about losing their starting spots because they played in the AFCON?

No offence taken but I’m not here to score cheap points in case that’s what anyone is thinking.
I assume same goes with you.
Also, he’s not my friend. He’s exactly what I described him as being: an ex-EPL player of African heritage.

Now to your point.
There are all levels of players that get invited to African national teams for AFCON, not all of whom are club first-11 players.
Surely you know that.
We even have one of our very own: Iheanacho.
Unless you’re saying he shouldn’t have been invited - which is an entirely different argument I consider worth having.
Another is Semi Ajayi.
That’s two already in one of the strongest African teams.

So there are countless players that will consider the pros and cons of being away from their clubs.
My ‘friend’ categorised these players into 3 groups:
1. The top indispensable players that will walk right back into their teams on return eg Osimhen. Easy decision as long as they’re committed.
2. The permanent bench-warmers. They’re not playing and are way down the club’s pecking order, so might as well go play and try showing what you can do. Easy decision. Or even those on the way back from injury trying to achieve top match fitness.
3. Those in-between. In and out of the team, probably with a main rival dragging matter for the same position. That’s the hard one. Maybe a Chukwueze-type situation (these are not the specific examples he gave. I’m just suggesting).

But generally, even if you disagree, I don’t see how this point seems beyond contemplation and you guys just see it simply ias a black and white matter.
None of you are professional players, yet you think your opinions trump those of players who have actually been there, done it.
What’s with that?

No offense to your ex player friend, but if he was struggling to hold down a position at his club, he shouldn't have made the AFCON squad in the first place. If he was struggling to impress his new coach before AFCON, then Clearly it wasn't AFCON that would have made him lose his place.

Imagine an EPL club lose a player to afcon in the busy December period?

January 2026 make sense when there will be Euro WCQ

Not just a team losing a player but a player losing his place in the team.
It’s a real concern for players and I don’t think we as fans quite get what is at stake for them.
Unfortunately there are no easy answers.

which players lost their place in their team by going to afcon 2023?

I don’t know.
It’s not about picking and choosing names and dates. It’s not about one tournament.

But I am talking with an ex-EPL player at the moment on a related subject matter and he said among other things that it is a factor that every player has to and will always consider.
In his case, he was struggling to lock down a place in his team at a time when a new coach had just taken charge. He was trying to impress to get more regular playing time and knew that going away for up to four weeks would push him further back in the pecking order.

And for the players, it’s not only about actual games, but also about missing numerous team training sessions where they can catch the manager’s eye.
It’s a big deal for players. Much bigger than we bother to think. Sebi our own as fans na to whinge and even yab for being deprived of our maximum entertainment.

There’s a lot that goes on that we don’t know.
Those that honour the call should be appreciated (as they undoubtedly are), but those that don’t come shouldn’t be crucified.
Not everyone is an Osimhen or a Sallah that can just stroll back into the team.

[1naija]

And how do you know they worry about it? The AFCON brand is growing. Its growth is not dependent on approval from Europe. Majority of the players that play in the tournament do not play in major clubs or leagues in Europe. It's only you EPL fans that worry about when AFCON is played.

How many top European club players play for Equatorial Guinea that topped our group? How many EPL players play for Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, Mozambique, Guinea, Gambia, Angola, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, Tanzania, DR Congo? Yet you want AFCON to adjust its schedule to accommodate EPL eventhough majority of the players that play in the tournament don't play in the EPL or in top clubs in Europe.

Guy, are you following?
How do you know they don’t ‘worry’ about it?
Have you some kind of inside knowledge of the over 150+ Europe-based African players that were at the last AFCON?

And are the Nigerian stars u mention representative of the majority of such players?
The fact that they make the decision to honour the invitation in no way implies it is not a major consideration at the time of decision.

As for my position on the timing of AFCON, there are pros and cons to whenever it is played and where. For example in South Africa the rainy season is actually this same December to February we are proposing. Same applies to the coastal areas of North African countries, starting about November. Meanwhile northern African countries and South Africa are major players in the AFCON hosting game, unlike Central and East Africa.

I just want most if not all of our best African players attending, whenever it is played.
That way, the brand will continue to grow.



.

I am a bit confused about your position on this. When do you think is the best time to hold the AFCON so fringe African players struggling to make their European club squad can have a better chance of making it? And how come players like Osimhen, Boniface, Moses, Iwobi, Bassey, Chukwueze, Aina, and other regular players don't worry about losing their starting spots because they played in the AFCON?

No offence taken but I’m not here to score cheap points in case that’s what anyone is thinking.
I assume same goes with you.
Also, he’s not my friend. He’s exactly what I described him as being: an ex-EPL player of African heritage.

Now to your point.
There are all levels of players that get invited to African national teams for AFCON, not all of whom are club first-11 players.
Surely you know that.
We even have one of our very own: Iheanacho.
Unless you’re saying he shouldn’t have been invited - which is an entirely different argument I consider worth having.
Another is Semi Ajayi.
That’s two already in one of the strongest African teams.

So there are countless players that will consider the pros and cons of being away from their clubs.
My ‘friend’ categorised these players into 3 groups:
1. The top indispensable players that will walk right back into their teams on return eg Osimhen. Easy decision as long as they’re committed.
2. The permanent bench-warmers. They’re not playing and are way down the club’s pecking order, so might as well go play and try showing what you can do. Easy decision. Or even those on the way back from injury trying to achieve top match fitness.
3. Those in-between. In and out of the team, probably with a main rival dragging matter for the same position. That’s the hard one. Maybe a Chukwueze-type situation (these are not the specific examples he gave. I’m just suggesting).

But generally, even if you disagree, I don’t see how this point seems beyond contemplation and you guys just see it simply ias a black and white matter.
None of you are professional players, yet you think your opinions trump those of players who have actually been there, done it.
What’s with that?

No offense to your ex player friend, but if he was struggling to hold down a position at his club, he shouldn't have made the AFCON squad in the first place. If he was struggling to impress his new coach before AFCON, then Clearly it wasn't AFCON that would have made him lose his place.

Not just a team losing a player but a player losing his place in the team.
It’s a real concern for players and I don’t think we as fans quite get what is at stake for them.
Unfortunately there are no easy answers.

which players lost their place in their team by going to afcon 2023?

I don’t know.
It’s not about picking and choosing names and dates. It’s not about one tournament.

But I am talking with an ex-EPL player at the moment on a related subject matter and he said among other things that it is a factor that every player has to and will always consider.
In his case, he was struggling to lock down a place in his team at a time when a new coach had just taken charge. He was trying to impress to get more regular playing time and knew that going away for up to four weeks would push him further back in the pecking order.

And for the players, it’s not only about actual games, but also about missing numerous team training sessions where they can catch the manager’s eye.
It’s a big deal for players. Much bigger than we bother to think. Sebi our own as fans na to whinge and even yab for being deprived of our maximum entertainment.

There’s a lot that goes on that we don’t know.
Those that honour the call should be appreciated (as they undoubtedly are), but those that don’t come shouldn’t be crucified.
Not everyone is an Osimhen or a Sallah that can just stroll back into the team.

[Damunk]

I see why they say you can start an argument in an empty room.
I really don’t know what the argument here is.
1. You have conceded you don’t know whether they “worry” about it or not because it’s obvious you haven’t even considered enquiring.
2. I’ve told you I spoke to an African ex EPL player on this and other things and he gave his own experience as part of a wider experience he expanded on. Why do you readily ignore that? At least I have gone beyond just going on my feelings, or the feelings of only those that share my pov. I actually hope to speak with more of such people.
But you basically dismiss all that in your ultimate wisdom because you feel lit doesn’t fit your own narrative.

Then you make the giant leap of stating I would want to shift the AFCON “because of the EPL” and an “approval from Europe”
When did I get into that aspect of the discussion with you or anyone else? All my posts on this thread have been about players and the factors they have to consider when featuring in AFCON. I don’t know where you got your strawmen from, but no be me.

So I think we need to end it here and allow you enjoy your echo chamber.
Because none of what you are saying indicates you are willing or able to engage or appreciate anything other than your own PoV.

And how do you know they worry about it? The AFCON brand is growing. Its growth is not dependent on approval from Europe. Majority of the players that play in the tournament do not play in major clubs or leagues in Europe. It's only you EPL fans that worry about when AFCON is played.

How many top European club players play for Equatorial Guinea that topped our group? How many EPL players play for Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, Mozambique, Guinea, Gambia, Angola, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, Tanzania, DR Congo? Yet you want AFCON to adjust its schedule to accommodate EPL eventhough majority of the players that play in the tournament don't play in the EPL or in top clubs in Europe.