It has been an ongoing talking point since our magnificent transfer window – a slightly bizarre sense of apprehension around the upcoming African Cup of Nations. With Sunderland’s recruitment bringing a wealth of recognised international talent to Wearside, AFCON will be a major feature of our 2025-2026 season. Long gone are the days when we tokenistically postponed games because Bryan Oviedo was going off
to play for Costa Rica in a friendly.
How much will it actually impact the squad? Who is likely to get the call? What does recent history tell us about how long they might be away?
Key details: who’s likely to be going? What games will be impacted from a club perspective?
Based on international call-ups to date, we can expect seven of our squad to participate in AFCON this year. It is the most out of the Premier League squads, with Nottingham Forest and Wolves trailing just behind us with 6 and 5 players respectively.
Almost certain to go: Simon Adingra (Ivory Coast), Habib Diarra (Senegal), Reinildo Mandava (Mozambique), Noah Sadiki & Arthur Masuaku (DR Congo), Bertrand Traore (Burkina Faso)
Likely to be called up: Chemsdine Talbi (Morocco)
The 2025 African Cup of Nations will be held in Morocco from Sunday 21st December 2025 to Sunday 18th January 2026. Players will likely depart for training camps around a week before the start date.
Which fixtures would be impacted?
As we all know, the festive period in the Premier League is a demanding one. To emphasise, just because these fixtures are listed, it does not mean that every single Sunderland player will be there for the full duration. As a comparison, when England were shamefully eliminated from Euro 2016 by Iceland in the Round of 16, they didn’t linger around to see who won. The final day of group stage matches at AFCON 2025 is Wednesday 31st December. Anyone knocked out at the first hurdle can expect to be back in the UK in early January.
That said, these are the fixtures that we have during that period:
December 20th: Brighton (A)
December 27th: Leeds United (H)
December 30th: Manchester City (H)
January 3rd: Tottenham (A)
January 7th: Brentford (A)
January 10th: FA Cup Third Round
January 17th: Crystal Palace (H)
The key question: how long will they be gone for?
It seems obvious, but a player’s return date depends entirely on the nation’s success. Given our newfound interest in AFCON, I thought it’d be worth looking at the performance of these nations in the last two tournaments. Reaching the quarter final is the dividing line between a shorter absence and one that might be more long-lasting. Again, I’m just focusing on the nations where we’re invested.
AFCON 2023 (Hosted by Ivory Coast)
Winners: Ivory Coast (Adingra)
Semi Finals: DR Congo (Sadiki / Masuaku)
Round of 16: Senegal (Diarra), Morocco (Talbi), Burkina Faso (Traore)
AFCON 2021 (Hosted by Cameroon)
Winners: Senegal (Diarra)
Fourth place: Burkina Faso (Traore)
Quarter Finals: Morocco (Talbi)
Round of 16: Ivory Coast (Adingra)
So, what does this tell us?
We have some fairly heavy hitters in the squad. Senegal, the Ivory Coast, and DR Congo have all made it to the semi-final stage or further in recent years. It’s realistic to expect Adingra, Diarra, Sadiki, and Masuaku to be involved for the majority of the tournament.
Alongside this, Morocco and Burkina Faso consistently reach the knockout stages. A quarter-final run is not beyond the realms of possibility for Talbi and Traore. This would likely see them miss the four festive fixtures and the trip to Brentford, but they could potentially be back for the Crystal Palace match on January 17th.
Finally, Mozambique did not qualify for the knockout stages in 2023. Whilst we obviously wish Reinildo all the best, recent history suggests that he might be one of the first to return.
Perspective is everything: a chance for others to make their mark
Seeing that fixture list without four of our key starters is undoubtedly a challenge. However, the club knew this when they signed them. It’s a calculated part of the strategy, built on the knowledge that these are high-calibre players who will only improve with more international tournament experience.
Their absence is a golden opportunity for other members of the squad to step up and prove their worth during a critical part of the season. Before kick-off at the Brentford game, I was surprised to see Adingra benched for Le Fee. However, we needn’t have worried. Le Fee put on an absolute masterclass on the wing and, for all intents and purposes, won us 3 vital points. Not only that, but some of our new signings, Nordi Mukiele and Lutsharel Geertruda in particular, can play in a multitude of positions. We also have players due to return from injury who will, hopefully, play a major role this season – Romain Mundle, for one.
So, whilst it’s obvious that any team would miss players like Diarra and Sadiki, let’s ditch the dread. We should be incredibly proud to be represented so strongly at a major international competition. Let’s support the lads from afar. Let’s have faith that the club is fully prepared to navigate the challenge in December and January,
Too long, didn’t read. Should I panic?!
AFCON is a massive, prestigious tournament. Success in it will only lead to positive outcomes for anyone who’s involved. If you’re like me and you’ve been in awe of Habib Diarra’s performances so far, imagine how good he’ll be if he comes back as an African champion. It’s actually a pretty scary thought…
For Sunderland to have players competing on that stage is a huge badge of honour. It shows that we’re recruiting the right calibre of player that we need, not just for survival but hopefully for more than that.
