Get ready for a football spectacle like no other—AFCON 2025 is almost here, and the excitement is palpable! But here's where it gets controversial: with 46 UK-based players already selected for the tournament, the question arises—how much of an impact will these players have on their respective national teams? And this is the part most people miss: Benin, Comoros, and Gabon are the only nations without any UK-based talent in their squads. Does this put them at a disadvantage, or could it be a hidden strength?
Kicking off on Sunday, December 21, with hosts Morocco facing Comoros in Rabat, AFCON 2025 promises to be a thrilling event. So far, 17 out of the 24 competing nations have confirmed their squads, showcasing a blend of Premier League stars, EFL talents, and players from Scotland, Wales, and even non-league teams. Among the big names, Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and Manchester United’s Bryan Mbeumo stand out, but they’re just the tip of the iceberg.
Let’s dive into the squads, shall we? Here’s a breakdown of the UK-based players heading to Morocco:
Angola: Manuel Benson (Swansea)
Burkina Faso: Dango Ouattara (Brentford), Bertrand Traore (Sunderland), Issa Kabore (Wrexham), Landry Kabore (Hearts), Nasser Djiga (Rangers)
Cameroon: Carlos Baleba (Brighton), Bryan Mbeumo (Man Utd), Junior Tchamadeu (Stoke)
DR Congo: Arthur Masuaku (Sunderland), Axel Tuanzebe (Burnley), Noah Sadiki (Sunderland), Aaron Wan-Bissaka (West Ham), Edo Kayembe (Watford), Ange Balikwisha (Celtic)
Egypt: Omar Marmoush (Man City), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Ivory Coast: Emmanuel Agbadou (Wolves), Willy Boly (Nottingham Forest), Amad Diallo (Man Utd), Evann Guessand (Aston Villa), Ibrahim Sangare (Nottingham Forest)
Morocco: Noussair Mazraoui (Man Utd), Chemsdine Talbi (Sunderland)
Mozambique: Reinildo Mandava (Sunderland), Alfonso Amade (Dunfermline Athletic)
South Africa: Lyle Foster (Burnley), Tylon Smith (QPR)
Tanzania: Haji Mnoga (Salford), Tarryn Allarakhia (Rochdale)
Tunisia: Hannibal Mejbri (Burnley), Yan Valery (Sheffield Wednesday), Sebastian Tounekti (Celtic)
Uganda: Toby Sibbick (Burton), Uche Ikpeazu (St Johnstone), Jordan Obita (Hibernian)
Zambia: Patson Daka (Leicester), Miguel Chaiwa (Hibernian)
Zimbabwe: Tawanda Chirewa (Wolves), Sean Fusire (Sheffield Wednesday), Brendan Galloway (Plymouth), Marvelous Nakamba (Luton), Andy Rinomhota (Reading), Tawanda Maswanhise (Motherwell), Alec Mudimu (Flint Town), Macauley Bonne (Maldon & Tiptree)
Key Dates to Remember:
- Clubs release players: December 15
- Group stages: December 21 - December 31
- Last 16: January 3 - January 6
- Quarter-finals: January 9 - January 10
- Semi-finals: January 14
- Third-place play-off: January 17
- Final: January 18
Now, here’s a thought-provoking question for you: With so many UK-based players in the tournament, are we seeing a shift in African football’s reliance on European talent? Or is this just a natural evolution of the sport? Let us know your thoughts in the comments—we’d love to hear your take on this!
