AFCON 2025: 10 Premier League clubs losing the most players in Morocco

The Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON 2025, kicks off this Sunday in Morocco, and Premier League bosses are sweating. 

Pulse Sports Nigeria reports that 15 clubs will lose talent to the continental showpiece, creating squad crises amid a packed festive schedule. 

Title hopefuls and relegation scrappers face the biggest headaches - here are the 10 hardest-hit teams, ranked by players departing.

Sunderland's surprise Championship charge (clear of the drop zone after heavy summer spending) hits a wall with six African stars called up. Noah Sadiki and Arthur Masuaku head to DR Congo; Reinildo Mandava joins Mozambique. 

Bertrand Traore (fresh off his first goal), Chemsdine Talbi (Morocco), and injured big buy Habib Diarra (Senegal) follow. Midfield engine room? Decimated.

Ruben Amorim's top-four push loses firepower: top scorer Bryan Mbeumo (8 goals, Cameroon), creative spark Amad (1G/2A, Ivory Coast), and back-three rock Noussair Mazraoui (Morocco). Attack and defense gutted at a pivotal moment.

Nigeria's Super Eagles trio blunts Fulham's attack: Alex Iwobi and Samuel Chukwueze (over 1/3 of PL goals + 6 assists combined), plus ever-present CB Calvin Bassey (every league game). Marco Silva's goal machine grinds to a halt.

Scott Parker's survival scrap worsened without CB Axel Tuanzebe (DR Congo, pre-injury starter), striker Lyle Foster (South Africa), and midfielder Hannibal Mejbri (Tunisia). Depth vanishes in the relegation mire.

Club-record buy Dango Ouattara (Burkina Faso) departs, but Igor Thiago softens the blow up top. Nigerian midfielder Frank Onyeka (limited mins) joins him, manageable, but the Bees hate surprises.

David Moyes' Euro dream fades as Senegal duo Iliman Ndiaye (joint-top scorer) and anchor Idrissa Gueye vanish. Midfield control and goals? Massive voids mid-season.

Pep Guardiola shrugs off Omar Marmoush (Egypt, backup post-knee injury) thanks to depth. Rayan Ait-Nouri (Algeria, fringe) is the other, City's machine barely skips a beat.

Sean Dyche loses starter Ibrahim Sangare (Ivory Coast) and surprise pick Willy Boly (1 EFL Cup app). Ola Aina and Taiwo Awoniyi snubbed by Nigeria, mixed relief Dyche's men.

Nuno Espírito Santo's bottom-three escape turns grim: first-choice FBs Aaron Wan-Bissaka (DR Congo) and El Hadji Malick Diouf (Senegal) leave. Attacking full-backs gone—defensive chaos looms.

Bottom-of-the-table Wolves dodge a bullet (feared 5 losses). Fringe winger Tawanda Chirewa (Zimbabwe) and key CB Emmanuel Agbadou (Ivory Coast) depart. 

Cameroon snubbed Jackson Tchatchoua; Nigeria ignored Tolu Arokodare. Heartbroken Marshall Munetsi (Zimbabwe) blasts his injury-related omission.

Thomas Frank's Spurs lose Mali's Yves Bissouma (no mins yet) and Senegal's Pape Matar Sarr (strong start, recent dip). Midfield rotation hit, but depth covers.

These absences could flip league standings, Nigerian fans, eyes on Iwobi, Chukwueze, Bassey, Onyeka, and Awoniyi near-misses. AFCON glory or PL pain?