The big absentees of the CAN 2022 in Cameroon
Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen.
© REUTERS / Mohamed Abd El Ghany
Text by: Pierre Fesnien Follow
5 mins
While the competition will begin on Sunday January 9 and the 24 teams of this CAN 2022 are preparing to enter the competition, several emblematic players from the continent will nevertheless stay at home.
Covid-19, injury, disagreement with the coach or unqualified team, RFI provides an overview of the major absentees from this African Cup of Nations.
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Victor Osimhen (23, Nigeria)
The Naples striker should have been the spearhead of the Nigeria attack but a Covid-19 contamination ultimately decided otherwise.
After having succeeded in his bet to be recovered just in time for the competition after multiple fractures to the face following a shock during a match against Inter Milan at the end of November, the Neapolitan striker tested positive in Covid-19 Thursday, December 30.
The Nigerian staff, who initially summoned Osimhen, therefore decided not to take any risks and to replace him with Olympiakos player Henry Onyekuru.
Nigeria caretaker Augustine Eguavoen also has to do without Leon Balogun (Glasgow Rangers) and experienced right-back Abdullahi Shehu (Omonia Nicosia), who forfeited injury.
Hakim Ziyech (28, Morocco)
Considered until recently as one of the most important players in the Moroccan selection, Hakim Ziyech will not be on the trip to Cameroon. The former Ajax Amsterdam player has not played for the Atlas Lions since a friendly against Burkina Faso in July and
his dismissal from the squad
by coach Vahid Halilodzic for bad behaviour.
"The notion of the group is something very fragile"
, justified the coach at a press conference just after taking out his list.
“We worked well with this group for two years, and I won't allow anyone to come and spoil it. The national team is sacred. A
decision that does not seem to have affected the Chelsea midfielder much.
“I do my job (with Chelsea) and try to be as efficient as possible.
Everything that happens outside of football is not important at the moment.
At this point, I don't really care, to be honest
, ”he said.
Hakim Ziyech, the Moroccan striker, missed a penalty in added time of the match against Benin, in the round of 16 of CAN 2019. Mohamed Abd El Ghany / Reuters
Séko Fofana (26, Ivory Coast)
The Ivorian midfielder is the revelation of this Ligue 1 season with Racing Club de Lens.
First selected in 2017 while playing for Udinese in Italy, the 26-year-old has only been called up six times but his current performances with his club made him
a natural contender for a place in the midfield of the Elephants
.
Versatile midfielder, tireless scavenger of balloons, Séko Fofana is also capable of scoring decisive goals and he would certainly have been of great help to the Ivorian selection but he preferred to ignore the CAN 2022 to favor the rest of the season with his club.
Many observers see him already signing for a major European club next year.
Andy Delort (30, Algeria)
The Algerian striker selected for the first time with the Fennecs during the CAN 2019 which he had finally won has also made the choice to focus on his club. The player transferred to OGC Nice this summer has decided to
take a one-year
break
with the selection
to earn his starting place with his new team. A choice that makes cringe in Algeria, especially those of the coach. “
We are going to play under 40 ° in Niger, in appalling conditions, we are going to have a qualifying campaign all over Africa which is a bit of hell. And, when everything is done, when everything is settled, the man comes back like a little bride: "
Is it okay, I'm available now?"
It is doubly disrespectful to us.
», Djamel Belmadi had launched during an interview on RMC radio.
There is therefore little chance of seeing Andy Delort again with the Fennecs as long as the Algerian coach remains in office.
Amine Harit (24, Morocco)
The Marseille midfielder is also paying the price for the Morocco coach's choices.
The player arrived on loan
at OM this summer from Schalke 04
made his hole in the Marseille workforce but he still struggles to convince Vahid Halilodzic.
“He only played a few games after a year without playing.
In addition, he did four years in the selection, have you ever seen him with attacking statistics?
»,
He justified himself.
For her part, Amine Harit preferred to be measured.
“I don't have much to say about the selection.
These are the coach's choices, I respect them.
It's been some time since he selected me, that's it, he's making his choices ”.
Cédric Bakambu (30 years old, DR Congo)
After the elimination of DR Congo in the round of 16 against Madagascar at CAN 2019, the star of the Leopards attack was certainly keen to make up for it in this edition.
Unfortunately, the Congolese failed to qualify for the competition, coming third in Group D of the qualifiers behind Gabon and Gambia.
Free from any contract since January 1, he can in any case now engage wherever he sees fit.
The former Beijing player Guoan would also interest several Ligue 1 clubs.
►Also read: CAN 2022: schedule and results of the Africa Cup
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