Premier League clubs most affected by AFCON 2025
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Michael Mongie
Fri 26 September 2025 18:50, UK
Premier League clubs will say farewell to some of their stars when AFCON starts, with 47 players set to be called up by African nations for the 35th iteration of the tournament set to kick off later this year.
Morocco will host the 2025 AFCON tournament and will be hoping to de-throne the champions of Africa Ivory Coast in front of their compatriots.
AFCON was originally scheduled to take place during the summer, but FIFA’s Club World Cup meant that the tournament was forced to take place during the season again.
Credit: Imago.
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Villa are floundering in the relegation zone, and unless they can improve their form before December and climb the table, even losing one player will be a severe blow.
Like Villa, Bournemouth have just one representative heading to AFCON with Amine Adli (Morocco) also a newcomer to the Premier League.
Brentford will only have to sacrifice two players for the nearly month-long tournament in Morocco, with Dango Ouattara (Burkina Faso) and Frank Onyeka (Nigeria) set to take part at the end of the year.
Carlos Baleba (Cameroon) is one of the best midfielders in the Premier League and should be one of the stars of the tournament.
It would mean the Eagles lose Guehi for free when his contract expires at the end of the season.
Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gueye will travel together to Morocco, with both Everton stars set to represent Senegal at AFCON barring injury.
Calvin Bassey and Alex Iwobi (both Nigeria) will be major losses for Fulham, who will also part ways with Samuel Chukwueze (Nigeria) until AFCON is over or until their respective nations are eliminated.
No African players in Leeds‘ first-team squad this season.
Mohamed Salah (Egypt) is the only player from Liverpool heading to AFCON this year but will be one of the biggest audience attractions after the incredible display he put on last season.
In 52 games for the Reds last season, the Egyptian King scored 34 goals in addition to the 23 assists he provided for teammates.
He was also named PFA Player of the Season for what has gone down as the greatest individual display in a single Premier League season in history, with the 33-year-old setting a new record of 47 goal contributions in a single season.
Mo Salah will represent Egypt at the AFCON 2025.
Like Mbeumo, the 29-year-old Congolese forward was exceptional in the Premier League last season, scoring 19 goals and providing five assists.
Wissa should be one of the most exciting players to watch at the tournament.
Nottingham Forest is another Premier League team that will have to cope with several absentees, as Ibrahim Sangare and Willy Boly will head off to join Ivory Coast while Taiwo Awoniyi and Ola Aina will join the Nigeria national team.
It will be fascinating to see how Forest cope with four key players absent.
Sunderland are by far the most severely affected Premier League club for the 2025 AFCON.
El Hadji Malick Diouf (Senegal) and Aaron Wan-Bissaka (Democratic Republic of Congo) will be absent from the end of December, so it’s vital that the Hammers climb the Premier League table in the coming months.
If West Ham are still in the relegation zone when AFCON starts, it will be a long second half of the season.
Wolves are another team that will struggle when AFCON starts.