Premier League players at Africa Cup of Nations 2025: 33 stars leave the PL for the AFCON

As the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 (AFCON) approaches, several African stars temporarily left the Premier League, creating a shift in the competition as clubs have to cope without some of their players.

While some teams like Arsenal and Chelsea are unaffected, others face challenges. Sunderland, the season’s black horse so far, lost six players. Below is the full breakdown of the players heading to the tournament.

Premier League players at AFCON 2025:

Sunderland (6 Players)

• Noah Sadiki – DR Congo

• Arthur Masuaku – DR Congo

• Reinildo Mandava – Mozambique

• Bertrand Traore – Burkina Faso

• Chemsdine Talbi – Morocco

• Habib Diarra – Senegal

Manchester United (3 Players)

• Bryan Mbeumo – Cameroon

• Amad Diallo – Ivory Coast

• Noussair Mazraoui – Morocco

Fulham (3 Players)

• Alex Iwobi – Nigeria

• Samuel Chukwueze – Nigeria

• Calvin Bassey – Nigeria

Burnley (3 Players)

• Axel Tuanzebe – DR Congo

• Lyle Foster – South Africa

• Hannibal Mejbri – Tunisia

Manchester City (2 Players)

• Omar Marmoush – Egypt

• Rayan Ait-Nouri – Algeria

Tottenham Hotspur (2 Players)

• Yves Bissouma – Mali

• Pape Matar Sarr – Senegal

West Ham United (2 Players)

• Aaron Wan-Bissaka – DR Congo

• El Hadji Malick Diouf – Senegal

Nottingham Forest (2 Players)

• Willy Boly – Ivory Coast

• Ibrahim Sangare – Ivory Coast

Everton (2 Players)

• Iliman Ndiaye – Senegal

• Idrissa Gueye – Senegal

Brentford (2 Players)

• Dango Ouattara – Burkina Faso

• Frank Onyeka – Nigeria

Wolverhampton Wanderers (2 Players)

• Tawanda Chirewa – Zimbabwe

• Emmanuel Agbadou – Ivory Coast

Liverpool (1 Player)

• Mohamed Salah – Egypt

Brighton & Hove Albion (1 Player)

• Carlos Baleba – Cameroon

Crystal Palace (1 Player)

• Ismaila Sarr – Senegal

Aston Villa (1 Player)

• Evann Guessand – Ivory Coast (Standby squad)

The upcoming weeks will be a test of squad depth for some Premier League teams. Clubs like Fulham and Manchester United will miss vital contributors like Alex Iwobi and Bryan Mbeumo, while Arsenal and Chelsea may look to capitalize on having a full squad available. As the players aim for glory in Morocco, their clubs back in England will be hoping for their safe and speedy return.

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