Liverpool have been handed a boost ahead of the 2020/21 season with the news that the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations is looking “increasingly likely” to be moved back a year.
As per The Athletic’s Simon Hughes, speaking on The Red Agenda podcast, the tournament is set to be rescheduled for 2022 due to the ongoing fallout of the global health crisis.
The 2019 AFCON was held over the summer months but the 2021 version was set to move back to January and February to avoid the rainy season in the host nation of Cameroon.
That would have meant that Liverpool would almost certainly have lost both Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane to Egypt and Senegal respectively, whilst Naby Keita could also have been called up if Guinea qualified.
There was also a possibility that Joel Matip would end his dispute with the Cameroonian national team and that he too could have been called up to play for his national team in their home tournament.
Read Liverpool Verdict
Celebrating anything that comes as a result of the global pandemic would be morally wrong, but from a purely sporting point of view, it’s clear that Liverpool will benefit from the AFCON being pushed back.
Losing at least two of the club’s best players would be hard for the Reds to overcome, especially in a period where the funds might not be available to bring in high-level backup players.
All being well, The Reds will enter the 2020/21 season as champions and it now looks like they will be able to defend their title without worrying about losing their African stars for an extended period over the winter months.
Comments.
Loading comments…