When do players leave for AFCON? Africa Cup of Nations stars' last Premier League games and return dates
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When do players leave for AFCON? Africa Cup of Nations stars' last Premier League games and return dates originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations begins in Rabat on Sunday, December 21.
Ivory Coast will defend the title they won in the 2023 final against Nigeria.
Twenty-four teams contest one of the most coveted trophies in international football across a month of competition in Morocco.
However, for many Premier League fans, their first instinct when AFCON comes into view is to anxiously glance over the fixture list.
Several of Africa's leading players ply their trade in England's top flight, which means some Premier League clubs will be without key men for several weeks.
Here's everything you need to know about which Premier League players are heading to AFCON, when they are leaving and when they might return.
MORE:AFCON 2025 teams, groups, match schedule, bracket and more
When do players leave for AFCON?
FIFA set Monday, December 15 as the mandatory date for all clubs to release players called up to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The tournament begins when hosts Morocco face Comoros on Sunday, December 21.
It means that most Premier League clubs bade farewell to their African internationals after matches on the weekend of December 13/14, with one exception.
Manchester United hosted Bournemouth at Old Trafford on December 15. Both clubs have players who were named in AFCON squads, and special dispensation was granted by national teams to allow the likes of Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo to play in the game.
Premier League AFCON stars' last games and when they return
The first date circled for Premier League fans is the end of the group stage, which wraps between December 29-31.
However, the tournament format means only eight teams will be eliminated at this point, with most players involved set to spend at least the first week of January in Morocco.
Algeria
| Player | Club | Last game | Earliest possible return date |
| Rayan Ait-Nouri | Man City | Dec 14: Crystal Palace (A) | Jan 4: Chelsea (H) |
Burkina Faso
| Player | Club | Last game | Earliest possible return date |
| Dango Ouattara | Brentford | Dec 14: Leeds (H) | Jan 4: Everton (A) |
| Bertrand Traore | Sunderland | Dec 14: Newcastle (H) | Jan 4: Tottenham (A) |
Cameroon
| Player | Club | Last game | Earliest possible return date |
| Bryan Mbeumo | Man United | Dec 15: Bournemouth (H) | Jan 4: Leeds (A) |
| Carlos Baleba | Brighton | Dec 13: Liverpool (A) | Jan 3: Burnley (H) |
DR Congo
| Player | Club | Last game | Earliest possible return date |
| Arthur Masuaku | Sunderland | Dec 14: Newcastle (H) | Jan 4: Tottenham (A) |
| Noah Sadiki | Sunderland | Dec 14: Newcastle (H) | Jan 4: Tottenham (A) |
| Axel Tuanzebe | Burnley | Dec 13: Fulham (H) | Jan 3: Brighton (A) |
| Aaron Wan-Bissaka | West Ham | Dec 14: Aston Villa (A) | Jan 3: Wolves (A) |
Egypt
| Player | Club | Last game | Earliest possible return date |
| Omar Marmoush | Man City | Dec 14: Crystal Palace (A) | Jan 4: Chelsea (H) |
| Mohamed Salah | Liverpool | Dec 13: Brighton (H) | Jan 4: Fulham (A) |
Ivory Coast
| Player | Club | Last game | Earliest possible return date |
| Emmanuel Agbadou | Wolves | Dec 14: Arsenal (H) | Jan 3: West Ham (H) |
| Amad Diallo | Man United | Dec 15: Bournemouth (H) | Jan 4: Leeds (A) |
| Willy Boly | N. Forest | Dec 14: Tottenham (H) | Jan 3: Aston Villa (A) |
| Ibrahim Sangare | N. Forest | Dec 14: Tottenham (H) | Jan 3: Aston Villa (A) |
Mali
| Player | Club | Last game | Earliest possible return date |
| Yves Bissouma | Tottenham | Dec 14: N. Forest (A) | Jan 4: Sunderland (H) |
Morocco
| Player | Club | Last game | Earliest possible return date |
| Noussair Mazraoui | Man United | Dec 15: Bournemouth (H) | Jan 4: Leeds (A) |
| Chemsdine Talbi | Sunderland | Dec 14: Newcastle (H) | Jan 4: Tottenham (A) |
Mozambique
| Player | Club | Last game | Earliest possible return date |
| Reinildo Mandava | Sunderland | Dec 14: Newcastle (H) | Jan 4: Tottenham (A) |
Nigeria
| Player | Club | Last game | Earliest possible return date |
| Calvin Bassey | Fulham | Dec 13: Burnley (A) | Jan 4: Liverpool (H) |
| Samuel Chukwueze | Fulham | Dec 13: Burnley (A) | Jan 4: Liverpool (H) |
| Alex Iwobi | Fulham | Dec 13: Burnley (A) | Jan 4: Liverpool (H) |
| Frank Onyeka | Brentford | Dec 14: Leeds (H) | Jan 4: Everton (A) |
Senegal
| Player | Club | Last game | Earliest possible return date |
| El Hadji Malick Diouf | West Ham | Dec 14: Aston Villa (A) | Jan 3: Wolves (A) |
| Idrissa Gana Gueye | Everton | Dec 13: Chelsea (A) | Jan 4: Brentford (H) |
| Habib Diarra | Sunderland | Dec 14: Newcastle (H) | Jan 4: Tottenham (A) |
| Pape Matar Sarr | Tottenham | Dec 14: Nottingham Forest (A) | Jan 4: Sunderland (H) |
| Ismaila Sarr | Crystal Palace | Dec 14: Man City (H) | Jan 4: Newcastle (A) |
| Iliman Ndiaye | Everton | Dec 13: Chelsea (A) | Jan 4: Brentford (H) |
South Africa
| Player | Club | Last game | Earliest possible return date |
| Lyle Foster | Burnley | Dec 13: Fulham (H) | Jan 3: Brighton (A) |
Tunisia
| Player | Club | Last game | Earliest possible return date |
| Hannibal Mejbri | Burnley | Dec 13: Fulham (H) | Jan 3: Brighton (A) |
Zimbabwe
| Player | Club | Last game | Earliest possible return date |
| Tawanda Chirewa | Wolves | Dec 13: Arsenal (H) | Jan 3: West Ham (H) |
