CHANGE IT, AFRICA
A plea to move the Cup
The length of the tournament means that stars could miss four rounds of top-flight fixtures, along with FA Cup clashes. It is not only Premier League clubs that will be affected. Various Championship clubs, including Newcastle, Aston Villa and Brighton, could also see star men called up for Africa’s biggest national tournament. Slaven Bilic (West Ham), Claudio Ranieri (Leicester) and David Moyes (Sun- derland), in particular, will be cursing the timing of the competition, as four players could depart their squads for Africa during such a hectic part of the campaign. Meanwhile, Chelsea, Swansea and Tottenham will be unaffected as none of their players will be called up. However, it is clear that FIFA and the Confederation of African Football need to come to an agreement that will allow for the tournament to take place in the months of June and July in future. A change in timing would not only be beneficial for club sides, but also for upcoming stars from Africa. It has been argued that some managers in the Premier League have avoided buying players in the transfer window simply because they were aware they would be without that player at a time of the season where the games are coming thick and fast. As a result, some bosses have turned their attentions elsewhere. Former Nigeria captain Peter Odemwingie has admitted that he is aware of players who have been in that position in the past. The ex-West Brom and Stoke striker, currently at Rotherham, said: “I have heard of African players who have been in line for good moves only for a manager to say, ‘I’m not signing you because I’ve got to lose you at a crucial stage of the season and you’ll miss four games – and that’s too much’.” The 16 leading African countries and some of the continent’s finest footballers – including current PFA Footballer of the Year Riyad Mahrez – will travel to Gabon to contest the 2017 tournament, but changes may need to be made for the benefit of upcoming stars and to satisfy clubs around the world.