Blow for Liverpool, Arsenal with 2021 AFCON moved back to January

Liverpool, Arsenal and other Premier League clubs will be without some of key their players for a crucial chunk of next season after plans to move the Africa Cup of Nations back to a January start date were approved.

The issue was discussed on Wednesday, with Confederation of African Football president Ahmad Ahmad believed to be the major force in favour of the move.

The decision to move the tournament back to the European winter comes as a huge blow to several clubs, many of whom thought they had seen the back of the January-February AFCON after Gabon in 2017.

Liverpool could potentially be without two of their star front three in Egypt’s Mohamed Salah and Senegal’s African Footballer of the Year Mane for up to six matches, with
Guinea’s Naby Keita also potentially absent.

Arsenal could also be missing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang should he choose to play for Gabon at the tournament, while
Nicolas Pepe would also feature for the Ivory Coast.

Manchester City’s Algerian star Mahrez and the Ivory Coast grio of Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha, Tottenham right-back Serge Aurier and Manchester United’s Eric Bailly could also be called up.

READ: BREAKING: Sadio Mane beats absent Mohamed Salah to be crowned African Player of the Year