Rabat – Frustration mounts – especially among coaches for African national teams – ahead of the African Cup of Nations, simply known as CAN or AFCON. The reason? European clubs have reportedly pressured FIFA to delay the release of players until December 15.
The countdown for the tournament has already started. AFCON will kick off on December 21 in Morocco, bringing dozens of clubs that will compete for the most prestigious trophy on the continent.
However, things could go wrong for many clubs, according to French news outlet L’Equipe.
The same source reported on Tuesday that the European Club Association has pressured FIFA to keep players “as long as possible,” a situation that could be a nightmare for many African clubs.
For L’Equipe, European clubs seem to have succeeded in the mission despite regulations stipulating that players have to be released as of the first week of December.
The news outlet quoted a FIFA regulation, saying that players “must be released and begin joining their representative team no longer than the Monday morning of the week preceding the week in which the final competition begins.”
European clubs, however, reportedly decided that it is too early to give up their key players at this stage of the season.
L’Equipe also reported on a letter sent to national teams from different European clubs, reminding them that clubs have the possibility of keeping their players until December 5.
“Liverpool’s coach Arne Slot has even confirmed in a press conference that Egyptian star Mohamed Salah will only be released on that date,” L’Equipe said.
The situation could mean a setback for coaches, who are relying on superstars to help them advance in the largest tournament on the continent.
For L’Equipe, coaches have been contacting each other to express anger over the situation.
It remains to be seen whether Morocco will also experience a similar situation, given that many national team players are playing in the European league.
As of now, all eyes are on Achraf Hakimi, who sustained a serious injury that left him benched with his international club, PSG.
Hakimi, however, is undergoing a recovery phase, which is going well, according to reports.
In November, coach Walid Regragui said he was confident Hakimi would return to the pitch during the AFCON.
Beyond Europe, emerging reports also suggest Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou cannot join the Atlas Lions for AFCON as his club reportedly seeks to exempt him from the tournament.
However, some reports suggest Al Hilal could remove Bouno from its squad list for this season to release him for AFCON.
