The African Cup is here and will leave an important void in LaLiga during the next month of January (it will begin on the 9th) and until February 6, the date on which the final is played. The ECA, Association of European Clubs, has been very reluctant to give in to its players for the competition due to the lack of sanitary protocol due to COVID-19. Despite this, Spanish clubs will have no choice but to let their players escape. The First, specifically, will provide eleven players, with Villarreal being the most ‘harmed’ team with four casualties: Mandi, Aurier, Chukwueze and Boulaye Dia. Sevilla, meanwhile, will yield three players (Bono, Munir and En Nesyri); and Barcelona (Abde), Cádiz (Akapo), Alavés (Loum) and Mallorca (Baba), one each. The case of the Barça winger is singular. Your call is on standby. In the last hours there have been contacts between the Blaugrana team and Morocco to free the footballer.
In contrast are the teams that have escaped being decimated. Among the absences from the African Cup, Aidoo stands out especially, Celta defender, a player who despite being standing out this season in LaLiga, has not finally been called up with Ghana. A news that has caught the Vigo team by surprise, since their call was taken for granted, and that in this way you will be able to count on your titular defense. Eteki (Granada), Pathé Ciss (Rayo Vallecano), Paul y Sabaly (Betis) and Amath (Mallorca) are other notable absences in the African Cup.
In LaLiga Smartbank, although the blow is somewhat less (four players), their competition will be diminished by the departure of one of their franchise players. The AlmerÃa, leader of Second and that takes cruising speed towards First, loses their striker Sadiq (eight goals), who has been called up by Nigeria. Omeruo (Leganés), Janko (Valladolid) and Ibán Salvador (Fuenlabrada), are the other players who will participate. Despite the setback that the African Cup dispute represents for the First and Second teams when we find ourselves in the middle of the respective league championships, This will be the edition with the fewest Spanish members in recent years. In 2015, there were 20 First and Second players who attended the Africa Cup. In 2017 the number dropped to 17 and in 2019 it rose again to 19.
Guinea would cite 16 Spaniards
Equatorial Guinea has not yet issued its official list for the Africa Cup, but It is estimated that, of the 28 summoned, 16 are players who are active in some category of Spanish football (Akapo, among them). Some of those that will be on the list of the Nzalang They have already communicated it on their social networks, therefore it is a matter of hours before they finish announcing it officially. Pablo Ganet, Murcia player who plays in the Second RFEF, is one of these cases. There are two players who have sounded strong for Equatorial Guinea, but it seems that they will not go. They are Mascarell, from Elche; and Akieme, from AlmerÃa. In the case of the first, the player has always appreciated the interest, but now he is focused on saving Elche from relegation to Second. For his part, Akieme, despite also having dual nationality, does not seem like he will be present at the tournament either.
The Leagues suffer
The Seville reported yesterday that FIFA has delayed the incorporation of the internationals to the Africa Cup for a week. In this way, Lopetegui will be able to count on Bono, En Nesyri and Munir for the match against Cádiz (January 3).
Ligue 1 It is the competition that will have the most casualties during the African tournament. A total of 51 players have been summoned with their respective teams. The Egyptian League, the second most, with 41.
The Metz, the Ligue 1 team, is the one that loses the most in France with up to six players: Sarr, Kouyaté, Boulaya, Maïga, Oukidja and Alakouch. PSG, meanwhile, will not be able to count on Achraf, Diallo and Gueyé.
The Premier neither does he ‘escape’ from the Africa Cup. The teams in the top English competition will lose up to 30 players. Among those called up are Salah and Mané (Liverpool), Mahrez (Manchester City) and Mendy (Chelsea), among others.
Klopp He spoke of Liverpool’s casualties due to the African Cup: “I am happy with my squad and we have options despite the departure of Salah, Mané and Keita, although it is obviously difficult to have a replacement.”
In the rest of the big leagues, Serie A loses 22 players. Osimhen and Koulibaly (Naples) or Kessié (Milan) stand out. From the Bundesliga, meanwhile, up to ten players have been called up.