Tottenham Hotspur will benefit from the rescheduling of the nAfrica Cup of Nations next year, as their star midfield duo Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr won’t miss games due to national team duty during the Premier League season.
AFCON, traditionally held in January and February, will now take place at the end of the season, providing English clubs like Spurs with relief from the absence of key players during crucial fixtures.
Next year’s tournament will be hosted in Morocco, a decision that Football London reports will lead to a more relaxed summer for participants.
This rescheduling comes as a boost for Tottenham, who had to play without Bissouma and Sarr during this year’s AFCON in Ivory Coast. The midfielders represented Mali and Senegal, respectively.
Sarr’s Senegal suffered elimination in the Round of 16 after losing on penalties to the host nation, while Bissouma’s Mali progressed to the quarter-finals but lost in extra time to the eventual winners, Ivory Coast.
Spurs were not the only club affected by players’ absence due to the mid-season tournament. Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson, and Arsenal’s Mohamed Elneny also missed their respective club’s fixtures due to their commitments.
With the AFCON now scheduled for the end of the season, Spurs and other English clubs can focus on their fixtures without the interruption of international duties.
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