LONDON: The African Nations Cup is due to have a major impact upon events at both ends of the English Premier League table.
Leaders Chelsea have seen Ivory Coast forwards Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou as well as Ghana midfielder Michael Essien and Nigeria’s John Obi-Mikel, all depart for Angola where the 2010 competition starts on Sunday.
Chelsea’s Italian boss Carlo Ancelotti already has one of the best-equipped squads in England’s lucrative top flight and, if needed, can ask the Blues’ billionaire owner Roman Abramovich to bankroll some new signings during the January transfer window.
However, after overseeing holders Chelsea’s 5-0 FA Cup win over Watford, which featured two goals from 20-year-old striker Daniel Sturridge, his first for the London club since a pre-season move from Manchester City, Ancelotti said: “I think that we can do a good January, good performances without the African players.”
There have been seasons where Arsenal, now four points off top spot, would have had as many players on African Nations Cup duty as London rivals Chelsea.
This time around the Gunners will only be without Ivory Coast defender Emmanuel Eboue and Cameroon midfielder Alex Song.
Even so, with Robin van Persie and Johan Djourou both long-term injuries, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger would rather his squad was not disrupted by a tournament which, unlike the World Cup or European Championships, takes place while the English season is in progress.
“On occasions, the players come back affected by a negative experience,” Wenger said.
However, Wenger reduced his African Nations Cup worries with the pre-season sale of both the Ivory Coast’s Kolo Toure and Togo’s Emmanuel Adebayor to Premier League big-spenders Manchester City.
“They play the African Nations Cup every two years and I believe that when you have too many players who go in January, it is a big problem,” Arsenal’s French manager explained.
If any Premier League side is likely to be adversely affected by the tournament, it is basement club Portsmouth.
The cash-strapped south coast side are four points adrift at the bottom of the table and such is their dire financial position, Portsmouth have had a transfer embargo slapped upon them by the Premier League.
In the midst of all their other problems, Pompey are set to lose four players to the African Nations Cup in Ivory Coast international Aruna Dindane, Algeria duo Nadir Belhadj and Hassan Yebda and Nigeria veteran Kanu.
Frustrated Portsmouth boss Avram Grant, said: “I don’t know why FIFA allow this. I don’t know why they have the African Cup of Nations in January.
“The players go two weeks before and need one or two weeks afterwards to recover,” the Israeli added.
“We pay a lot of money, especially the big teams, to players who are not with us for two months,” the former Chelsea manager insisted.
“I think FIFA need to think about this.” — AFP