AFCON 2025: Serie A may lose 20 key players in winter | OneFootball

The 35th edition of the Africa Cup, scheduled from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026, in Morocco, could deprive Serie A of a significant number of players. In the last edition, held in February 2024, 22 "Italians" were called up, five of whom were playing in Serie B or C.

Africa Cup 2025, Serie A risks losing about twenty key players between December and January

This year, a similar number is expected, around twenty, with about thirty names potentially in contention for a national call-up.

The last edition saw the triumph of Ivory Coast, which beat Nigeria's Ademola Lookman in the final, who was then awarded the 2024 African Ballon d'Or. A recognition that, the previous year, had gone to Victor Osimhen.

The big and the minimal risk

The main title contenders will be little impacted by the event.

Napoli: only one certain call-up, Frank Anguissa (Cameroon), at his fourth participation and semi-finalist in 2022.

Milan: Samuel Chukwueze (Nigeria), three appearances at the Africa Cup with two goals, and Ismaël Bennacer (Algeria, 2019 champion), leaving the club.

Inter and Juventus: no African players in the squad.

Atalanta: if Lookman leaves, only Odilon Kossounou (Ivory Coast), reigning champion, would remain.

Roma and Lazio: the heavy absences of the Capital

Lazio: Boulaye Dia (Senegal), 7 goals in national team and one Cup played, and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (Nigeria), debutant in June. Belahyane (Morocco) may also be called up.

Roma: Evan Ndicka (Ivory Coast), protagonist of all the games in the last won edition, and El Aynaoui (Morocco), so far only used in the Under 23.

Torino and the mid-table teams: departments to rebuild

Torino is among the most exposed clubs, with three players in contention:

Zakaria Aboukhlal (Morocco, 22 appearances and 3 goals)

Adam Masina (Morocco, former national team captain)

Saul Coco (Equatorial Guinea, 4 goals and about 30 appearances)

Possible departures also for Como with Diao (Senegal) and for Fiorentina, which could say goodbye to Michael Richardson (Morocco) and, if not sold, Christian Kouamé (Ivory Coast).

The small teams with more Africans in the squad

The greatest risk falls on the teams that have bet on emerging players at a contained cost:

Lecce: Lassana Koulibaly (Mali, 50 appearances), Lameck Banda (Zambia), Kialonda Gaspar (Angola) and Hamza Rafia (Tunisia).

Udinese: Maduka Okoye (Nigeria), Kamara (Ivory Coast), Jordan Zemura (Zimbabwe), Rui Modesto (Angola).

Verona: Alessio Tchatchoua (Cameroon).

Many of these players are irreplaceable starters, and their absence at the turn of the year and the beginning of 2026 could weigh in the delicate winter months.

Impact on the championship

With a competition taking place in the middle of the season, the 2025 Africa Cup will force several clubs to review rotations and, in some cases, to run for cover in the January market. The loss of twenty elements, many of whom are starters, will be a tactical and strategic factor not to be overlooked in the relegation battle and in the European positions.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.