Premier League clubs relieved as AFCON players to stay with teams until January 3

As the Premier League has headed into the busy festive period, several clubs and their fans are worried that some of their stars would leave their clubs early to play in the African Cup of Nations (AFCON). The rescheduled AFCON will take place in Cameroon from January 9 to February 6, 2022.

The latest development is that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has permitted players competing in the tournament to play for their clubs until January 3. This news is most favourable to Liverpool, who are set to face title rivals, Chelsea, at Stamford on January 2. The Reds will be without the star duo of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane once the AFCON tournament begins.

CAF permit Premier League players to join teams on January 3

FIFA released a statement to notify Premier League clubs and their fans that players competing at the AFCON will no longer need to be released 14 days before the continental championship begins. This will be a huge relief to some clubs that could have lost several of their African stars by the official release date of December 27.

"This decision is taken in the spirit of goodwill and solidarity with the affected clubs in recognition of the fact that they, like all members of the football community, have been adversely affected by the onset of the COVID pandemic," read a letter sent on Sunday by FIFA to the European Leagues.

"It is also assumed that a spirit of mutual cooperation remains between CAF and all relevant stakeholders in this regard, including related to the release of players and the provision of sporting exemptions to travel and quarantine restrictions if required in the future," added the letter sent by FIFA deputy general secretary Mattias Grafstrom.

Premier League players that will depart for AFCON

Below is the list of all the players who would compete in the upcoming AFCON and the list of clubs that would be impacted as a result.

Arsenal:

Nicolas Pepe (Ivory Coast)

Burnley:

Maxwel Cornet (Ivory Coast)

Chelsea:

Edouard Mendy (Senegal)

Crystal Palace:

Wilfried Zaha (Ivory Coast), Cheikhou Kouyate (Senegal)

Leicester City:

Nampalys Mendy (Senegal)

Liverpool:

Sadio Mane (Senegal), Naby Keita (Guinea), Mohamed Salah (Egypt)

Manchester City:

Riyad Mahrez (Algeria)

Manchester United:

Eric Bailly (Ivory Coast)

Watford:

Adam Masina (Morocco), Imran Louza (Morocco), Ismaila Sarr (Senegal)

West Ham:

Said Benrahma (Algeria)

Wolves:

Romain Saiss (Morocco), Willy Boly (Ivory Coast)

Image: Twitter/@LFC