Some Manchester United players have been selected to play for their countries in the African Cup of Nations (AFCON).
AFCON kicked off on Saturday 13th January 2024 when the hosts, Ivory Coast, took on Guinea-Bissau at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan.
Erik ten Hag has been without a couple of his first-team squad members as they head off for their countries. The Manchester United men will miss some of the Premier League campaign.
So just how does AFCON affect Manchester United and how are the players getting on?
Which Manchester United players are at AFCON?
There are only two Manchester United players going to AFCON – Andre Onana and Sofyan Amrabat.
Andre Onana will be representing Cameroon and Sofyan Amrabat will be representing Morocco.
How is Andre Onana doing at AFCON?
Andre Onana has just suffered a huge hit in Cameroon’s latest game, with the keeper being benched for his side. Here is how he’s got on so far.
- Cameroon 1 – 1 Guinea: Andre Onana did not feature due to the fact he played for United the day prior.
- Senegal 3 – 1 Cameroon: Andre Onana concedes 3 and was criticised over his reactionary response and diving ability after Mane’s low strike beat Onana from inside the box. He also made 0 saves.
- Gambia vs Cameroon: Andre Onana is benched.
A bit of a disaster for Onana, who is now on the verge of going out with a loss against Gambia. The whole debacle with United and his country hasn’t helped – it makes you wonder why he’s even gone in the first place.
How is Sofyan Amrabat doing at AFCON?
Amrabat is doing a lot better.
- Morocco 3 – 0 Tanzania: A solid 90 minutes in a 3-0 win.
- Morocco 1 – 1 DR Congo: Another 90 minutes, a shame to get the draw.
- Morocco vs Zambia: 24th of January 2024
Why didn’t Amad Diallo go to AFCON?
As for Amad Diallo, despite some confusion, he isn’t heading to AFCON likely because he’s just returned from a severe injury.
What games could Manchester United players miss at AFCON?
The AFCON tournament started on the 13th of January 2024 and concludes on the 11th of February 2024.
This means, in total, these are the games Amrabat and Onana could miss.
- Newport County – January 26th 2024
- Wolverhampton Wanderers – February 1st 2024
- West Ham – February 4th 2024
- Aston Villa – February 11th 2024
A total of five games maximum for Amrabat and four for Onana, including
Manchester United AFCON Predicted Return Dates
There is no saying the pair will go all the way with their nations. Here we have our predicted return dates for each, based on how far their teams will go.
Sofyan Amrabat – Morocco
Morocco are second-favourites for the entire competition, which means unless there’s a major upset, we won’t be seeing Amarabat for the entirety of the competition.
We think they’ll get to the semi-final, which takes place on the 7th of February, meaning they’ll likely be given February 11th against Villa off.
- Predicted Return Date: 18th February 2024 vs Luton
Andre Onana – Cameroon
Cameroon are on the verge of heading out. Let’s see how their game against Gambia pans out.
- Predicted Return Date: Wolverhampton Wanderers – February 1st 2024
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