Habib Beye condemns FIFA decision that delays AFCON player release

Habib Beye has sharply criticised FIFA’s decision to allow European clubs to retain African internationals until 15 December, a week later than the initially agreed release date for the Africa Cup of Nations.

The ruling, which came after discussions involving the European Club Association (ECA), has caused frustration among several African federations preparing for the tournament.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, the Stade Rennais manager and former Senegal international made clear his disapproval of how the governing body handled the situation.

I find this decision unfair to the coaches and federations involved in this major competition, Beye said. When a return date for the players is set and communicated, the federations have already planned their preparations, booked hotels, organized friendly matches… And to receive information changing all of that at the last minute is unacceptable.

While acknowledging that Rennes would benefit from keeping several players for an extra week, Beye insisted the issue extends far beyond club priorities.

As Rennes coach, I’m obviously delighted to keep my players until December 15th. But we also have to put ourselves in the shoes of the federations and national team coaches: the Africa Cup of Nations is a major competition in Africa, and it deserves respect.

The former defender argued that the late change reflects a long-standing pattern in which AFCON is treated differently from other major tournaments.

He pointed to a recurring lack of consistency and commitment from global football bodies regarding African football’s premier event.

Unfortunately, this kind of interference isn’t new, he continued. Sometimes it feels like the Africa Cup of Nations can be moved around as it pleases, its organization decided at the last minute… That’s not the case for other international competitions.

Beye went on to emphasise that the 2025 tournament had already undergone adjustments to accommodate the Club World Cup, and said African federations had abided by all previous scheduling requirements without complaint.

This edition of the AFCON was scheduled long ago and only moved for the Club World Cup, he said. If we had been asked to release our players on December 8th, we would have respected that decision. Our clubs never exerted any pressure to keep the players.

Despite benefiting from the extension, Beye reiterated that the new ruling undermines national team preparations and disrupts long-established logistical plans.

Now they will stay until the 15th, and we are very happy about that. But from the point of view of the federations and the national team coaches, it is undeniably wrong.

His comments add to a growing chorus of criticism aimed at FIFA’s handling of the tournament calendar, highlighting the ongoing tension between European clubs and African football authorities as AFCON 2025 approaches.