As the 34th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations kicks off in Côte d’Ivoire on January 13, many teams have announced the absence of some of their biggest stars.
Injuries, non-qualification or sporting choices, they will only be able to enjoy one of the most eagerly-awaited events of the 2023/24 season from their television sets.
On the Côte d’Ivoire side, Wilfried Zaha’s absence from the tournament has caused quite a stir among Internet users. Unfortunately, he won’t be at home. Jean-Louis Gasset decided not to bring him along.
The French coach had to weigh up the pros and cons before deciding not to call him up. At the end of December last year, Gasset stated that he had made a choice as coach. “It’s a coach’s choice,” he said.
Like Wilfried Zaha, Éric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Said Benrhama will miss out with their respective national teams. Rigobert Song has decided to build on the continuity of recent months.
A good striker with a remarkable presence in the penalty area, the Indomitable Lions will miss him. Algeria’s Djamel Belmadi preferred Youcef Belaili to Said Benrhama. This is also a coach’s choice. It should also be noted that the two men were not on the best of terms.
For his part, Hannibal Mejbri decided not to take part in the CAN. Not having had enough playing time, the young midfielder declined his call-up.
“I’d like to thank coach Jalel Kadri and the institution for their support. You can only take part in a competition like this if you’re ready and calm in your role. Courage to my team-mates. This CAN is ours,” he explained.
Victor Boniface, who was initially included in the list of 27 Super Eagles, will not be taking part. The Bayer Leverkusen player is injured and will be out until early April. He has been replaced by Terem Moffi.
Steve Mounié (Benin), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon) and Geoffroy Kondogbia (Central African Republic) failed to make it past the qualifying phase.
Leave a Reply