Salah, Hakimi and three other stars set to miss a significant part of the season due to the Africa Cup of Nations

In just a few weeks, the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 will kick off in Morocco, featuring a large number of top-tier players. That means many stars will be absent from their club competitions during part of the season, including Mohamed Salah and Achraf Hakimi.

AFCON 2025 could not be held in June and July due to the expanded FIFA Club World Cup 2025 played in the United States this summer, so the continental tournament was pushed to the end of this year.

The action in Morocco will begin on Sunday, December 21, with the group stage concluding on December 31. From there, the knockout stages will begin, leading up to the final on Sunday, January 18. As a result, AFCON will take place during a period when most domestic leagues around the world are in full swing, creating a major headache for more than one manager.

Without a doubt, Arne Slot is one of the most concerned. The head coach of Liverpool will have to navigate an important part of the season without his best player, Mohamed Salah, who will compete with Egypt in search of the title that slipped away from them in the 2017 and 2021 finals.

If Salah and Egypt perform well and reach the final again, the winger could miss up to seven Premier League matches, in addition to FA Cup fixtures. But if Egypt are eliminated in the group stage, that number would be cut roughly in half.

Problems for PSG too

Another major star of the Africa Cup of Nations will be Achraf Hakimi. The defender is currently recovering from an ankle injury suffered on November 4 in Paris Saint-Germain’s loss to Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League.

Hakimi is gradually returning to physical work and is expected to come back soon at the club level, which would allow him to regain full fitness ahead of AFCON 2025. Playing at home with the Morocco national team, one of the tournament’s leading favorites, the right-back will be one of the main stars of the competition.

However, between his injury absence and his departure to play with Morocco in the Africa Cup of Nations, PSG will be without their key star for more than two months. That would make him miss several Ligue 1 matches and, most notably, the Trophee des Champions against Olympique Marseille on January 8.

Other stars who will play in the Africa Cup of Nations 2025

While Salah and Hakimi will attract much of the attention, several other top-level stars will also take part in the Africa Cup of Nations 2025. Manchester United will be without Bryan Mbeumo, one of their best players this Premier League season, as he joins the Cameroon national team.

In addition, Nigeria will have Victor Osimhen, arguably the best African center forward at the moment, creating a significant loss for Galatasaray. Al Hilal will also be without Riyad Mahrez for several Saudi Pro League matches, as he will lead Algeria.