Europe’s Top Five Leagues Lose 141 Footballers Due To 2023 AFCON

The forthcoming 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) has cost the top five leagues in Europe 141 players who are currently on contracts with different clubs in the leagues.

This means that 141 players will not be available for selection for the clubs in the Premier League, French Ligue 1, Spanish La Liga, Italian Serie A, and the German Bundesliga due to the 2023 AFCON in Ivory Coast.

Note that the 2023 AFCON was initially planned to take place between June and July 2023 but was delayed until January 13 to February 11 2024, due to the harsh climatic conditions of the host country, Ivory Coast.

It has been reported that the weather in Ivory Coast is often hotter in June and July than in January and February.

If it had taken place in June as earlier planned, the tournament would have fallen in the summer break when all the major leagues in Europe, especially the top five leagues, are not in operation.

But since the tournament was postponed to January, all the clubs that have African players who were invited for the tournament are affected negatively and have to find a way to survive for almost a month without some of their star players.

Naija News gathered French Ligue 1 lost the highest number of African players due to the 2023 AFCON. At least 56 players plying their trade in France were invited for the tournament including Achraf Hakimi of Morocco and Paris Saint Germain.

The English Premier League lost only 30 African players for the tournament including Mohamed Salah of Egypt and Liverpool.

In Spanish La Liga, only 19 players were invited for the 2023 AFCON including Inaki Williams of Ghana and Sevilla.

In Italian Serie A, only 17 players are not available for their clubs because of the 2023 AFCON and the biggest name among them is Victor Osimhen of Nigeria and Napoli.

While in the German Bundesliga, only 17 players won’t be available for their clubs due to the 2023 AFCON. However, the number has dropped to 16 now that Victor Boniface of Nigeria and Bayer Leverkusen is out with an injury.

In his absence, the biggest name from the league in the forthcoming 2023 AFCON is Serhou Guirassy of Stuttgart and Guinea.