FIFA gives clubs an extra week before releasing AFCON stars

Star players such as Mohamed Salah, Bryan Mbeumo and Achraf Hakimi will be able to play for their clubs for an extra week until December 15 before joining their national teams at the Africa Cup of Nations, FIFA said on Wednesday.

Top European clubs such as Salah's Liverpool, Mbeumo's Manchester United and Hakimi's Paris Saint-Germain face losing key players for up to five weeks for the 24-nation tournament in Morocco from December 21 to January 18.

But they had feared it could be even longer until FIFA amended its rules to soften the blow for clubs by delaying the release date by a week.

The decision came after "fruitful consultations led by FIFA with key stakeholders and thanks to the spirit of solidarity demonstrated by CAF to reduce the impact on various parties," FIFA said in a statement, referring to the tournament organisers, the Confederation of African Football.

"It was also decided to encourage member associations participating in the 2025 AFCON and clubs releasing players... to engage in good faith bilateral discussions in order to find appropriate individual solutions," FIFA added.

- National coaches disgruntled -

Mali coach Tom Saintfiet led a chorus of disquiet from AFCON team coaches on hearing the ruling.

"It's catastrophic," he told AFP. "Everyone in Europe thinks African football is not important. It shows a lack of respect and I'm angry."

Comoros boss Stefano Cusin described the late ruling as disruptive.

"We have booked hotels and training grounds, booked flights and even organised a friendly we can no longer play," said the Italian.

Before FIFA's ruling, players had been required to show up for international duty by December 8, meaning that English Premier League clubs could have been without vital players for up to seven or even eight league matches during a particularly busy part of the season.

The competition falls at an awkward moment for the likes of high-flying Sunderland and rock-bottom Wolverhampton Wanderers who could be without up to seven and five players respectively.

Liverpool will be without Egypt forward Salah, Manchester City will have to do without his international team-mate Omar Marmoush and Algeria's left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri, while United will lose Cameroon's Mbeumo, Ivory Coast winger Amad Diallo and Morocco full-back Noussair Mazraoui.

On the other hand, league leaders Arsenal, Chelsea and Leeds will be unaffected.

French and European champions PSG will lose Hakimi, the reigning African player of the year, but other European giants such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, AC Milan and Juventus will not see any players involved.

Bayern Munich's Senegal forward Nicolas Jackson, on loan from Chelsea, will be at the tournament but will not miss many Bundesliga games as the league will be on its winter break from December 22 to January 8.

Morocco, Egypt, Algeria and Senegal are amongst the tournament favourites.

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