{"id":14270,"date":"2025-12-17T10:14:04","date_gmt":"2025-12-17T10:14:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/?p=14270"},"modified":"2025-12-17T10:14:09","modified_gmt":"2025-12-17T10:14:09","slug":"afcon-2025-everything-you-need-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/afcon-2025-everything-you-need-to-know","title":{"rendered":"AFCON 2025: Everything You Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/league\/africa-cup-of-nations-167\">Africa Cup of Nations<\/a> begins next week, coinciding with Europe&#8217;s winter schedule. Key players in the top 5 leagues will miss minutes with less than a week between release and kickoff, creating a mid-season test of team depth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><h2>Table of Contents<\/h2><nav><ul><li><a href=\"#details\">Schedule<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#details-1\">Details<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#the-big-storyline-squads-arrive-late-prep-time-gets-squeezed\">Late Tournament Arrival<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#the-groups-full-list\">The Groups<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#who-looks-like-a-favourite-and-why\">Competition Favourites<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#morocco-hosts-the-home-floor-effect\">The Hosts<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#senegal-tournament-ready\">Tournament Ready<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#cote-d-ivoire-defending-champs\">Defending Champs<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#algeria-nigeria-egypt-heavy-pressure\">Heavy Pressure<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#dark-horses-worth-circling-now\">Dark Horses<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#mali-tournament-disruptors\">Tournament disruptors<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#dr-congo-balanced-brave-and-missing-a-key-piece\">Threat missing a Key Piece<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#qualifying-stories-that-set-the-tone\">Tone-Setting Qualifying Stories<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#notable-absences\">Notable Absences<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#premier-league-england-biggest-immediate-hit-busy-festive-schedule\">European Clubs Affected by AFCON<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#premier-league\">Premier League<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#serie-a\">Serie A<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#bundesliga\">Bundesliga<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#ligue-1\">Ligue 1<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#la-liga\">La Liga<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#bottom-line\">Bottom Line<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"details\">Schedule<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/morocco-5093\">Morocco<\/a> will host AFCON 2025, beginning on 21 December 2025 until 18 January 2026. The full set of dates is shown in the table below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td>Tournament Stage<\/td><td>Date<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Group Stage<\/td><td>21-31 December<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Round of 16<\/td><td>3-6 January<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Quarter-finals<\/td><td>9-10 January<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Semi-finals<\/td><td>14 January<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Third-place play-off<\/td><td>17 January<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Final<\/td><td>18 January<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div data-widget-type=\"predictions\" data-entity-type=\"game\" data-widget-id=\"0.q351dawxlja\" data-lang=\"en-US\" data-entity-id=\"4365017\" data-publisher-id=\"125\" data-live-mode=\"true\" data-hide-powered-by=\"true\"><\/div>\n<script src=\"https:\/\/widgets.365scores.com\/main.js\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"details-1\">Details<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>24 countries have been grouped into 6 groups of 4, with the top two in each group coupled with the four best third-placed teams qualifying for the round of 16. The knockout stages proceed with the quarter-finals, semi-finals, third-place match and a final, totalling 52 matches, played in 9 stadiums across 6 cities, with the final held in Rabat at the Stade Prince Moulay Abdellah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"the-big-storyline-squads-arrive-late-prep-time-gets-squeezed\">Late Tournament Arrival<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>FIFA&#8217;s decision requires clubs to release players by 15 December, giving some national teams just days to prepare with their full squad, especially those dependent on European clubs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"the-groups-full-list\">The Groups<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Group A:<\/strong> Morocco, Mali, Zambia, Comoros <br><strong>Group B:<\/strong> Egypt, South Africa, Angola, Zimbabwe <br><strong>Group C:<\/strong> Nigeria, Tunisia, Uganda, Tanzania <br><strong>Group D:<\/strong> Senegal, DR Congo, Benin, Botswana<br><strong>Group E:<\/strong> Algeria, Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, Sudan<br><strong>Group F:<\/strong> C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire, Cameroon, Gabon, Mozambique <\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">AFCON 2025 groups <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/F3xHjtqatd\">pic.twitter.com\/F3xHjtqatd<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Randomz Musings (@Naija_PR) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Naija_PR\/status\/1883981560116023322?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">January 27, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"who-looks-like-a-favourite-and-why\">Competition Favourites<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"morocco-hosts-the-home-floor-effect\">Morocco &#8211; The Hosts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Morocco has the crowd behind them, along with international success in the last 4 years, with a 4th place at the 2022 World Cup. Led by captain <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/hakimi-47349\">Achraf Hakimi<\/a> into Group A, partnered by Mali, Zambia and Comoros, should lead a positive trajectory through to the knockout stages.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"967\" src=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-26-1024x967.png\" alt=\"Africa Cup of Nations - Group A standings in 365Scores \" class=\"wp-image-14591\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Via 365Scores)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"senegal-tournament-ready\">Senegal &#8211; Tournament Ready<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/senegal-5102\">Senegal&#8217;s<\/a> combination of athleticism, structure and a powerful attack makes them contenders. The squad is captained by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/kalidou-koulibaly-6114\">Kalidou Koulibaly<\/a>, along with integral players such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/sadio-mane-7914\">Sadio Mane<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/idrissa-gueye-2002\">Idrissa Gueye<\/a>, lining the attack and midfield. Group D seems to challenge their players against DR Congo, Benin and Botswana, but the Lions of Taranga are a serious threat to win this AFCON.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"cote-d-ivoire-defending-champs\">C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire &#8211; Defending Champs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The 2023 AFCON hosts hoisted the trophy and returned to the tournament with the hopes of repeating their success. Captain <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/franck-kessie-41440\">Franck Kessi\u00e9<\/a> will lead <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/ivory-coast-2385\">C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire<\/a> out of the tunnel, with notable stories such as the return of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/wilfried-zaha-1532\">Wilfried Zaha<\/a> and the injury ruling out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/wilfried-singo-69592\">Wilfried Singo<\/a>, adjusting the team. Their matchups in Group D include Cameroon, Gabon, and Mozambique, with the dream of replicating their success a true possibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-1996270418-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Ivory Coast's forward #22 Sebastien Haller touches the Africa Cup of Nations trophy\" class=\"wp-image-14414\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Photo by FRANCK FIFE \/ AFP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"algeria-nigeria-egypt-heavy-pressure\">Algeria, Nigeria, Egypt &#8211; Heavy Pressure<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>These three nations carry tough expectations, along with their tricky group dynamics, this AFCON:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/algeria-5109\">Algeria&#8217;s<\/a> Group E, alongside Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, and Sudan, will surely be a physical set of matches.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/nigeria-2386\">Nigeria<\/a> shares Group C with Tunisia, along with hungry East African sides in Uganda and Tanzania.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/egypt-5100\">Egypt&#8217;s<\/a> Group B involves South Africa, Angola, and Zimbabwe, all dangerous sides.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"dark-horses-worth-circling-now\">Dark Horses<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"mali-tournament-disruptors\">Mali &#8211; Tournament disruptors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If the chemistry clicks, <a href=\"http:\/\/365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/mali-5097\">Mali<\/a> pose a threat to Senegal for the top of Group A, headlined by players such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/hamary-traore-1181\">Hamari Traor\u00e9<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/bissouma-44891\">Yves Bissouma<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"dr-congo-balanced-brave-and-missing-a-key-piece\">DR Congo &#8211; Threat missing a Key Piece<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>On their day, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/dr-congo-14650\">DR Congo<\/a> could absolutely win their group, but without attacker <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/yoane-wissa-43328\">Yoane Wissa<\/a>, the offensive responsibility shifts to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/cedric-bakambu-10178\">C\u00e9dric Bakambu<\/a> in their sleeper run to AFCON stardom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"qualifying-stories-that-set-the-tone\">Tone-Setting Qualifying Stories<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/ghana-5094\">Ghana<\/a> don&#8217;t qualify for AFCON for the first time since 2004; a tournament-defining team has been left out.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/mozambique-5418\">Mozambique&#8217;s<\/a> 2-1 dramatic win over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/guinea-bissau-8444\">Guinea-Bissau<\/a> highlighted the thin margins in qualifying.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/botswana-5406\">Botswana<\/a> make their second-ever appearance, with their first in 2012.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">This is Botswana\u2019s year.<br><br>FT: \ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddec Egypt 1-1 Botswana \ud83c\udde7\ud83c\uddfc <br><br>Botswana has qualified for AFCON 2025 on the final day with a rare result in Cairo! Massive. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/G6p21bmN38\">pic.twitter.com\/G6p21bmN38<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Moses Rutahigwa (@MosesRutahigwa) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MosesRutahigwa\/status\/1858920136519950693?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">November 19, 2024<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"notable-absences\">Notable Absences<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Nigerian captain <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/william-ekong-7262\">William Troost-Ekong<\/a> retired right before the tournament, leaving the leadership of the national team in shambles.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cameroon&#8217;s coach, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/marc-brys-59455\">Marc Brys<\/a>, was sacked, with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/andre-onana-13395\">Andre Onana&#8217;s<\/a> place at the tournament unknown.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Injuries to players such as Wilfried Singo, Yoanne Wissa and potentially without <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/i.-sarr-44892\">Ismaila Sarr<\/a> will affect the structure of their teams.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"premier-league-england-biggest-immediate-hit-busy-festive-schedule\">European Clubs Affected by AFCON<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"premier-league\">Premier League<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/sunderland-117\">Sunderland<\/a> loses seven players, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/bertrand-traore-7327\">Bertrand Traore<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/reinildo-mandava-60216\">Reinildo Mandava<\/a>, the most reliant team on African players in England.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/wolves-15\">Wolves<\/a> lose 5 players, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/emmanuel-agbadou-82358\">Emmanuel Agbadou<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/marshall-munetsi-67712\">Marshall Munetsi<\/a>, adding more struggles to their generationally poor season so far.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/manchester-united-105\">Manchester United<\/a> lose <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/bryan-mbeumo-56369\">Bryan Mbeumo<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/diallo-71851\">Amad Diallo<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/noussair-mazraoui-55208\">Noussair Mazraoui<\/a>, weakening the squad on all fronts.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Notably, clubs such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/arsenal-104\">Arsenal<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/chelsea-106\">Chelsea<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/newcastle-united-116\">Newcastle<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/leeds-united-36\">Leeds<\/a> are unaffected by the tournament.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"serie-a\">Serie A<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/lecce-246\">Lecce<\/a> could lose up to 7 players due to AFCON, headlined by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/kialonda-gaspar-129335\">Kialonda Gaspar<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/hamza-rafia-72235\">Hamza Rafia<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/hellas-verona-316\">Hellas Verona<\/a> will suffer without <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/gift-emmanuel-orban-125818\">Gift Orban<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/cheikh-niasse-73317\">Cheikh Niasse<\/a>, 2 of the 7 players absent.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/udinese-229\">Udinese<\/a> are deprived of up to 6 players, namely <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/maduka-okoye-74275\">Maduka Okoye<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/jordan-zemura-80784\">Jordan Zemura<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Clubs such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/ac-milan-227\">Milan<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/inter-milan-224\">Inter<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/juventus-226\">Juventus<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/bologna-245\">Bologna<\/a> remain totally intact through this period.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"bundesliga\">Bundesliga<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/bayer-leverkusen-333\">Bayer Leverkusen<\/a> will be forced to cope without <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/ibrahim-maza-129921\">Ibrahim Maza<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/edmond-tapsoba-68867\">Edmond Tapsoba<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/christian-kofane-195400\">Christian Kofane<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/nathan-tella-78352\">Nathan Tella<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/nathan-tella-78352\">Stuttgart<\/a> will play without <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/badredine-bouanani-114396\">Badredine Bouanani<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/bilel-el-khanouss-109008\">Bilel El Khannouss<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/silas-katompa-mvumpa-70036\">Silas Katompa Mvumpa<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Clubs such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/wolfsburg-339\">VFL Wolfsburg<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/fc-augsburg-358\">FC Augsburg<\/a> persist entirely.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"ligue-1\">Ligue 1<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/angers-493\">Angers SCO<\/a> are the most affected, losing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/herve-koffi-55353\">Herv\u00e9 Koffi<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/jim-allevinah-80109\">Jim Allevinah<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/jacques-ekomie-115306\">Jacques Ekomi\u00e9<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Clubs such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/lille-478\">LOSC Lille<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/paris-fc-6075\">Paris FC<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/lorient-472\">FC Lorient<\/a> lose 2 players each.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Importantly, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/psg-480\">PSG<\/a> is not affected by AFCON.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"la-liga\">La Liga<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/real-betis-146\">Real Betis<\/a> are altered due to the absences of Bakambu, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/abde-ezzalzouli-102544\">Abde Ezzalzouli<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/sofyan-amrabat-12359\">Sofyan Amrabat<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/villarreal-133\">Villareal<\/a> will be affected by the loss of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/papa-gueye-79039\">Pape Gueye<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/pepe-44477\">Nicolas P\u00e9p\u00e9<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/atletico-madrid-134\">Atl\u00e9tico<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/real-sociedad-154\">Real Sociedad<\/a> headline the squads that are uninfluenced by the tournament.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"bottom-line\">Bottom Line<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As AFCON 2025 approaches, the ripple effect of the tournament across Europe is impossible to ignore. Title-contending sides lose vital players in their aspirations of reclaiming their silverware, while other big clubs remain unharmed. The events unfolding in Morocco will surely shape the legacies of integral players, but their absences across the club scene may be more impactful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"872\" src=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-27-1024x872.png\" alt=\"Africa Cup of Nations - Outrights\" class=\"wp-image-14592\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Via 365Scores)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Africa Cup of Nations begins next week, coinciding with Europe&#8217;s winter schedule. Key players in the top 5 leagues will miss minutes with less than a week between release and kickoff, creating a mid-season test of team depth. Table of ContentsScheduleDetailsLate Tournament ArrivalThe GroupsCompetition FavouritesThe HostsTournament ReadyDefending ChampsHeavy PressureDark HorsesTournament disruptorsThreat missing a Key &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":14416,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[1790,3833,4375,4389,4381,1316,4376,4384,4379,1789,872,4371,1303,1837,4372,4370,4388,4378,4386,869,4383,1836,1452,209,4387,867,4374,108,1311,4377,4385,4380,4373],"class_list":["post-14270","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-soccer","tag-afcon","tag-afcon-2025","tag-algeria","tag-angers-sco","tag-bakambu","tag-bayer-leverkusen","tag-bissouma","tag-botswana","tag-dr-congo","tag-egypt","tag-ghana","tag-gueye","tag-hakimi","tag-ivory-coast","tag-kessie","tag-koulibaly","tag-lecce","tag-mali","tag-marc-brys","tag-morocco","tag-mozambique","tag-nigeria","tag-onana","tag-real-betis","tag-sarr","tag-senegal","tag-singo","tag-soccer","tag-sunderland","tag-traore","tag-troost-ekong","tag-wissa","tag-zaha","article_type-discover","article_type-seo","entity_type-competition","inspiration-365s-articles"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14270","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/43"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14270"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14270\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14596,"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14270\/revisions\/14596"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14416"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14270"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14270"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14270"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}