Klopp To Make AFCON Request?
23 October, 2021
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp could reportedly make a specific request regarding the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations and his African stars Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Naby Keita.
The Reds have been in sublime form since the start of the 2021/22 campaign much thanks to the individual performances of a few of their star players.
Among them are Mane and Salah, who is arguably playing the best he ever has in his career, while central midfielder Keita has also contributed with some impressive and promising performances.
Liverpool, however, will be without all three stars from late December into January and potentially even February when the AFCON takes place in Cameroon early next year.
Mane is likely to be Senegal's hope of going all the way, as they almost did in 2019, and Salah will look to carry his club form onto the international stage to help deliver Egypt their first AFCON title since 2010. Keita, meanwhile, could represent Guinea at the tournament.
The competition, as it stands, is set to run from 9 January until 6 February, with rules stating that qualified teams will be able to ask their players to join up with their squads from 27 December.
Reds boss Klopp, though, is reportedly planning to speak to those national teams about releasing his players slightly later than that to avoid being without them for key matches.
The trio would miss Liverpool's Premier League matches against Leicester City and Chelsea should this request not be granted, as well as the Carabao Cup semi-final should Klopp's side be involved.
Source: www.soccerladuma.co.za
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