January 1, 2022 – One more week to wait and then the Africa Cup will start. The tournament is under pressure on various fronts, on the one hand due to the many corona infections and on the other because European clubs are bothered that the tournament is invariably held in the middle of the season. Many clubs therefore have to miss their African internationals during the competition, including in the Eredivisie.
Ajax and Cambuur seem to be the most affected by the Africa Cup, because they both have to give up two players. Ajax misses the top scorer Sébastien Haller and the reserve goalkeeper André Onana. Cambuur cannot have Issa Kallon and perhaps not David Sambissa. The back has been called up by Gabon, but Cambuur has that turned down as Sambissa is recovering from an injury.
The question is therefore whether he will actually travel to Africa. In addition to Ajax, PSV also has to miss a strong holder. Ibrahim Sangaré, together with Haller, will attempt to score high with the Ivory Coast. Sparta has to do without their goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, where Henk Fraser already healed himself made a fuss about. He believes that Okoye owes it to the distressed Sparta to return from the tournament earlier.
Furthermore, AZ, FC Twente, Fortuna Sittard, NEC, Go Ahead and RKC Waalwijk also have to give up a player and therefore miss it at the resumption of the season. The Africa Cup starts on January 9 and the group stage lasts about a week. The countries that survive the group stage will keep the internationals away from the clubs for a little longer. With a bit of bad luck until February 6, when the final is played.
These players are active in the Africa Cup:
• André Onana (Ajax – Cameroon)
• Sébastien Haller (Ajax – Ivory Coast)
• Ibrahim Sangaré (PSV – Ivory Coast)
• David Sambissa (SC Cambuur – Gabon)
• Zakaria Aboukhlal (AZ – Morocco)
• Shops Okoye (Sparta Rotterdam – Nigeria)
• Yacine Bourhane (Go Ahead Eagles – Comoren)
• Said Bakari (RKC Waalwijk – Comoros)
• Ramiz Zerrouki (FC Twente – Algeria)
• Lisandro Semedo (Fortuna Sittard – Cape Verde)
• Issa Kallon (SC Cambuur – Sierra Leone)
• Souffian El Karouani (NEC – Marokko)
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