Haller, Aouar out of AFCON, Zambia coach drama

A hamstring problem picked up during a game in the Dutch league means Ivory Coast forward Sebastien Haller misses the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations starting in Morocco this Sunday.

Haller netted the decisive strike in the previous AFCON final where the hosts Ivory Coast overturned a deficit to defeat Nigeria 2-1 in Abidjan.

The forward had overcome testicular cancer only months prior to the major African football event beginning.

An update from the national football body indicated that Haller gets replaced by Evann Guessand of Aston Villa boosting the count of Premier League stars in the Elephants lineup to five.

The title holders sit in Group F alongside five time champions Cameroon plus Gabon and Mozambique and they will contest every initial stage fixture in Marrakesh.

An injury not specified picked up in training has led to Saudi Arabia playing midfielder Houssem Aouar pulling out of Algerias team as per the authorities.

Ligue 1 side Angers Himad Abdelli steps in for him in the Desert Foxes roster before Group F clashes with Sudan Burkina Faso and Equatorial Guinea in Rabat.

Nigeria revealed that midfielder Wilfred Ndidi based in Turkey will lead the side taking over from William Troost-Ekong following his recent international retirement.

Nigeria begins their Group C effort versus Tanzania in Fes followed by encounters with Tunisia and Uganda in that same location.

Reports state Zambia manager Moses Sichone is barred from the touchline for not holding the required Confederation of African Football credentials.

Chipolopolo staff aim to address this by shifting the ex international to assistant manager status where he satisfies the criteria.

Zambia features in Group A facing tournament frontrunners Morocco Comoros and Mali.