Clubs to miss African players

Following the weekend's World Cup action, the full list of qualifiers for January's African Cup of Nations is now known.The 2010 event takes place in Angola from January 10-31 (the group stage ends on January 21), meaning many of the Premier League's top stars will be missing for some crucial domestic fixtures - not only during those dates, but also in the week or so leading up to the event.As always, the tournament is bad news for many top-flight managers and fans alike. But how bad?


Wanting to find out who will be most affected, we've taken a club-by-club look at who will be hit most due to the call-ups and what they can do to combat the withdrawals.



Arsenal - Alex Song (Cameroon), Emmanuel Eboue (Ivory Coast)
Arsenal have a rich history of African players playing at the Emirates, but only have two who will be away in January this time around - Alex Song and Emmanuel Eboue. Song, who helped Cameroon to the final in 2008, will be the bigger miss for the Gunners and he looks set to miss key games, including a home clash with Manchester United and trips to Goodison Park and Villa Park - a tough month for the Gunners. Denilson will likely come in to replace him, but does he have the quality to be as influential?


Aston Villa - Moustapha Salifou (Togo)
Villa are only missing one player in Moustapha Salifou when he represents Togo in January. Considering Salifou is not in the Martin O'Neill's first-team plans, the African Cup of Nations should have little impact on their season. Habib Beye's Senegal have not qualified.


Birmingham - None
With £40million to spend, Alex McLeish will be able to focus on transfers safe in the knowledge that none of his current squad will be involved in Angola.


Blackburn - None
Blackburn have several African players but Sam Allardyce won't have to worry. Christopher Samba's Congo have not qualified and neither have Benni McCarthy's South African side. El-Hadji Diouf has quit internationals but his Senegal haven't qualified in any case.
Bolton - Danny Shittu (Nigeria)Shittu won't be a big miss for Bolton given he's been unable to hold down a first-team place. Gary Megson therefore won't be too concerned - unless he suddenly sees his other centre-backs such as Gary Cahill and Zat Knight heading to the treatment room after the festive action.


Burnley - Andre Bikey (Cameroon)
Newly-promoted Burnley have made an impressive start to their season in England's top tier but they will be without the Cameroonian Andre Bikey come January. The defender will miss games away to Manchester United and at home to Chelsea. Perhaps more importantly to Owen Coyle's side, he will also be unavailable for the matches against Stoke and Bolton. Michael Duff should deputise in Bikey's absence.


Chelsea - Michael Essien (Ghana), Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou (both Ivory Coast), John Obi Mikel (Nigeria) Chelsea are arguably the side who most fear the arrival of the African Cup of Nations every other January. As was the case in 2008, they will be missing four key players. Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou will represent the much-fancied Ivory Coast, so could well be missing all the way to the final, while Michael Essien (Ghana) and John Obi Mikel (Nigeria) will also be unavailable. The early-season form of Drogba and Essien has been impressive and they will be sorely missed, but the Blues' January schedule looks to be reasonably favourable. A home clash with Sunderland followed by away matches to relegation contenders Hull, Birmingham and Burnley mean Carlo Ancelotti should be able to have adequate cover. The recent lifting of a transfer ban will also help should they need replacements.


Everton - Joseph Yobo, Ayegbeni Yakubu, Victor Anichebe (all Nigeria)
The Toffees are another side, like Chelsea, where their squad will take a big hit come January because of the Nigerian contingent at Goodison Park. David Moyes has been without Victor Anichebe since February due to injury, but Joseph Yobo has played virtually every game so far this season and will be badly missed. Striker Yakubu will also be pined for if Louis Saha finds himself with another injury. The one piece of good news for Toffees' fans is that South African captain Steven Pienaar will be going nowhere - his side have failed to qualify.


Fulham - John Pantsil (Ghana), Dickson Etuhu (Nigeria)
Fulham are affected due to Nigeria and Ghana's participation. Nigerian midfielder Dickson Etuhu is an important part of Roy Hodgson's team and so is full-back John Pantsil, who will represent Ghana. The pair will miss crucial home games against Portsmouth and Villa along with trips to Spurs and Blackburn so Hodgson may have to rejig his squad to cope with the losses. However, South Africa aren't involved so Kagisho Dikgacoi will be available. Likewise, Diomansy Kamara's Senegal won't be in attendance in Angola.


Hull City - Kamel Ghilas (Algeria), Daniel Cousin (Gabon), Seyi Olofinjana (Nigeria)
If Phil Brown is still in charge come January, his team will be severely depleted by participation in Africa. He would probably have always expected Kamel Ghilas and Seyi Olofinjana to be heading off, but Gabon's surprise qualification means he will also be robbed of Daniel Cousin's services too. All three will be absent in a demanding month, which includes games against Manchester United and Chelsea. The home match with Wolves is probably of higher importance and Brown will hope to have some of his men back for that. Better news is that Kamil Zayatte's Guinea have missed out, while Ibrahima Sonko's Senegal are also not taking part.


Liverpool - None
At least the African Cup of Nations is not going to add to Rafa Benitez's woes. His transfer policy has been questioned in many quarters, but what he has not done is sign players who leave for a month biennially. Even Nabil El Zhar, very much a fringe player at Anfield, will be around as Morocco have not qualified.

Manchester City - Kolo Toure (Ivory Coast), Emmanuel Adebayor (Togo), Kelvin Etuhu (Nigeria) One suspects Mark Hughes would have had his finger crossed for a Togo defeat last weekend. That could have seen them miss out. However, Emmanuel Adebayor will now join Kolo Toure in Angola. At least Hughes knows the money is there if he wants to buy a replacement. Toure will be a bigger miss in defence than Adebayor due to the number of attacking options Hughes possesses. Perhaps he will turn to Benjani Mwaruwari, whose Zimbabwe team have not qualified.


Manchester United - None
There will be no re-jigging required for United come January as they have no African players. Given they face Arsenal away at the end of January, that is good news for Red Devils fans. It could be a key period, especially given title rivals Chelsea who, in contrast, will be badly hit by international call-ups.


Portsmouth - Kevin-Prince Boateng (Ghana), Nadir Belhadj, Hassan Yebda (both Algeria), John Utaka, Nwankwo Kanu (both Nigeria), Aruna Dindane (Ivory Coast) Financially-stricken Portsmouth are the most affected in terms of numbers and could see as many as six players depart for Angola now that Kevin-Prince Boateng has declared himself available for Ghana. Pompey look sure to still be involved in a dogfight and games against West Ham, Fulham, Manchester City and Birmingham could be vital in the relegation scrap. At least Aaron Mokoena (South Africa) and Papa Bouba Diop (Senegal) will be around due to their nations not qualifying. With a transfer embargo still in place at present, it could be a tough time for Pompey. The likes of Danny Webber and Tommy Smith may have to step up in what will be a depleted forward line.


Stoke - Mamady Sidibe (Mali)
The Potters have dodged a bullet, mainly because their African contingent is almost enitrely made up by Senegalese players. Salif Diao, Amdy Faye, Abdoulaye Faye and Ibrahima Sonko (the latter currently on loan at Hull) are all Senegal internationals but the 'Lions of Teranga' have failed to qualify. That means striker Mamady Sidibe is the only player in question here - and even he may not be jetting off given he's recovering from a long-term injury. In any case, Stoke's squad is much stronger than it was so they should be able to cope - perhaps Tuncay Sanli will actually get to start a game!


Sunderland - John Mensah (Ghana)
Steve Bruce will see John Mensah leave for Angola to represent Ghana, but he has only started one game so far this season. He looks set to miss the home games versus Bolton and Stoke and away trips to Chelsea and Everton. Unless injuries mount up in the New Year, the tournament should have limited impact on Sunderland.


Tottenham - Sebastien Bassong, Benoit Assou-Ekotto (both Cameroon)
Harry Redknapp's rejuvenated squad could be without the Cameroon internationals Sebastian Bassong and Benoit Assou-Ekotto, the latter having made his debut earlier this year, something which could disrupt their top-four push. The pair will miss the crunch clash at Anfield, plus games with Hull, Fulham and Birmingham. Spurs have a big squad though, and the likes of Gareth Bale and Michael Dawson should be able to provide adequate cover.

West Ham - None
No hammer blow from Africa for the Hammers. They will even get to keep Herita Ilunga, whose DR Congo have not qualified. That's all good news for Gianfranco Zola as his side continues to battle against the drop.

Wigan - Richard Kingson (Ghana)
There are plenty of South Americans in residence at the JJB but few Africans. In fact the Latics will only lose back-up keeper Richard Kingson, a key member of the Ghana squad, in January.
Wolves - George Elokobi (Cameroon) Wolves would appear to have little to fear from the African Cup of Nations. Defender George Elokobi has declared his interest in playing for Cameroon but so far he's yet to be capped by the Indomitable Lions.

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