The confirmed Africa Cup of Nations squads are coming in thick and fast, with several notable absentees.
From the Premier League to all around the Europe, ESPN rounds up who has missed out on representing their country at the tournament in Morocco.
It all kicks off on Dec. 21.
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Nation: Ivory Coast
Club: Sunderland
Why was he left out?: Adingra was a surprise omission for Ivory Coast, having played a key role in their AFCON title two years ago. He also played in World Cup qualifying wins against the Seychelles and Kenya last month, scoring once, but his lack of gametime for Sunderland — Adingra has started just four times since his move from Brighton — has ultimately cost him.
Nation: Ivory Coast
Club: Villarreal
Why was he left out?: Pépé’s absence was also peculiar, given he has impressed for Villarreal this term — even named LaLiga player of the month in August. Coach Emerse Faé said “many elements on and off the pitch” were taken into consideration.
Nation: Ivory Coast
Club: Aston Villa
Why was he left out?: Guessand hasn’t featured as much as expected for Villa since his summer move, although he is at least on standby for Ivory Coast in case others drop out.
Nation: Ivory Coast
Club: Rangers
Why was he left out?: Diomande has been a key figure for Rangers this season, but not so much for Ivory Coast. He has been capped eight times since debuting last year, but didn’t make the final cut for Morocco.
Nation: Nigeria
Club: Nottingham Forest
Why was he left out?: Aina hasn’t played a game since tearing his hamstring on international duty since September. Club boss Sean Dyche has said he isn’t far away from a return, but he’s not fit enough to get in Nigeria’s squad.
Nation: Nigeria
Club: Celtic
Why was he left out?: Iheanacho has only recently returned from a hamstring injury suffered in October, while Nigeria’s medical team say he is suffering with abdominal discomfort.
Nation: Nigeria
Club: Nottingham Forest
Why was he left out?: Like club teammate Aina, injuries have wrecked Awoniyi’s chances. The striker hasn’t been included in a Nigeria squad all year.
Nation: Nigeria
Club: Werder Bremen (on loan from Bayer Leverkusen)
Why was he left out?: Boniface has yet to score for Werder Bremen since joining on loan from Bayer Leverkusen. His zero goals in 13 caps wouldn’t have given Nigeria much hope of him finding form in Morocco, either.
Nation: Nigeria
Club: Wolves
Why was he left out?: Arokodare would have had high hopes for AFCON after joining Wolves in the summer in a big-money move from Genk. He has yet to find the scoresheet at Molineux, though. In a crowded Nigeria squad, he hasn’t done enough.
Nation: Nigeria
Club: Udinese
Why was he left out?: Possibly the most surprising omission was that of Maduka Okoye, the only Nigeria goalkeeper with consistent European minutes. His absence has not been explained.
Nation: Ivory Coast
Club: Crystal Palace (on loan from Getafe)
Why was he left out?: Uche has only made four Premier League appearances — all off the bench — since joining Palace on loan in the summer.
Nation: Cameroon
Club: Neftçi
Why was he left out?: Cameroon’s squad-selection process has certainly been controversial. According to reports, unverified by ESPN, Aboubakar has been left out due to Cameroon Football Federation president Samuel Eto’o wanting to protect his goal record. Aboubakar is 12 goals shy of Eto’o’s record.
Nation: Cameroon
Club: New York Red Bulls
Why was he left out?: Choupo-Moting has been in fine form for New York Red Bulls this year, but hasn’t featured much for Cameroon since leaving Europe and hasn’t scored for his country since 2022.
Nation: Cameroon
Club: Trabzonspor (on loan from Manchester United)
Why was he left out?: Another bizarre — and rather confusing — Cameroon squad tale is that of Onana. The goalkeeper was left out by manager Marc Brys amid an ongoing feud between the pair, before then reportedly being recalled ahead of the tournament. His status is still unknown.
Nation: Cameroon
Club: Wolves
Why was he left out?: Famously one of Europe’s fastest players, Tchatchoua will be showing that speed in the Premier League this winter rather than Morocco. It was another surprise, given he featured for his country in November.
Nation: Morocco
Club: Wydad AC
Why was he left out?: Previously his nation’s captain, Ziyech last represented Morocco in September 2024 and, while he has returned to club football, he is ineligible to feature for Wydad until January.
Nation: Morocco
Club: Union Saint-Gilloise
Why was he left out?: Once Morocco’s brightest prospect, Boufal hasn’t done enough with Union St GIlloise this season to force himself back into a squad that is packed with forward talent.
Nation: Morocco
Club: Bournemouth
Why was he left out?: Despite impressing for Bayer Leverkusen and now Bournemouth, Adli has only played twice for Morocco all year.
Nation: Morocco
Club: Everton
Why was he left out?: Considered a rising star destined for the tournament a year ago, Aznou’s career has stagnated since joining Everton and Bayern Munich. He was capped three times in 2024, but hasn’t featured in a squad this year.
Nation: Zimbabwe
Club: Wolves
Why was he left out?: Another curious, and sad, case was that of Munetsi. The Wolves midfielder said he was recovering well from an injury but has still been left out of the AFCON squad. What makes it more devastating, is Munetsi said he made sacrifices for the recent qualifiers, leaving his wife in hospital following a miscarriage. “Representing the Warriors has always been a dream,” he said in a statement. “While I’m hurt, my support for the national team remains strong. I respect the coach’s decisions and stand behind the boys wholeheartedly.”
Nation: DR Congo
Club: Newcastle
Why was he left out?: Wissa has recently returned to Newcastle’s matchday squad following a long injury layoff, but hasn’t done enough to earn a callup.
Nation: South Africa
Club: Mamelodi Sundowns
Why was he left out?: Persistent injury troubles have cost Zwane, who has 51 caps and 12 goals for South Africa.
