The upcoming African Cup of Nations (AFCON) will see almost fifty African players leave their club teams in the middle of the season to represent their countries. This exodus will impact struggling Ligue 1 clubs, with Evian-TG, Ajaccio, and Brest being the most affected, currently ranking 18th, 16th, and 13th, respectively, in the French championship.
Evian will lose eight players: Yannick Sagbo (Ivory Coast), Saber Khelifa (Tunisia), Eric Tie Bi (Ivory Coast), Mohamed Rabiu (Ghana), Cedric Mongongu (DR Congo), Jonathan Mensah (Ghana), and Brice Dja Djedje (Ivory Coast). The departure of these players is a significant blow to Evian’s squad.
Pascal Dupraz, Evian’s coach, expressed his concerns about the impact on the club, stating that while they were aware of the AFCON, they did not anticipate all their African players’ national teams qualifying. He mentioned that they recruited young players, some of whom were already African internationals, and this unexpected situation will inevitably penalize the club during the AFCON. However, Dupraz also sees it as an opportunity for the club to gain attention and hopes that their sporting situation will have improved by January.
The Stade Brestois coach, Landry Chauvin, emphasized that players’ choices to play for their national teams should not be influenced. While acknowledging the potential challenges, he views international competitions as valuable experiences for players.
The AFCON, scheduled to begin on January 19, 2013, in South Africa, will affect several clubs across various leagues due to the temporary departure of key African players.
