European Teams Set to Lose out the Most During the Africa Cup of Nations
While the Cup of Nations makes for a tremendous spectacle and a dramatic showpiece for fans and observers of the African game, it can be a nightmare for club managers.
The continent's stars depart for crucial weeks of the season, and it can often spell disaster for the team-mates they leave behind. Sides chasing glory near the top of the table can lose momentum, while those near the bottom can be dragged into the mire.
In this feature, we present the one team from each of Europe's five major leagues set to be hit hardest by the 2015 Afcon.
Girondins De Bordeaux
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Even though, as is often the case, Ligue 1 is to be hit harder than Europe's other major leagues, one side will lose out more than most.
Willy Sagnol will be delighted that his team are in fine fettle at the moment (sitting up in fifth place), but he will surely be anticipating a new year slump.
Midfielders Wahbi Khazri (Tunisia) and Andre Poko (Gabon), striker Cheick Diabate (Mali) and defender Lamine Sane (Senegal) look certainties for the Cup of Nations. Diabate is the club's leading scorer, and the south-west club wouldn’t be sitting so pretty had he not chipped in with eight goals.
He has also contributed two assists, while Khazri and captain Sane have also directly contributed to goals. The North African has also scored five goals, making him an exceptionally costly loss.
Several other players could also potentially depart. Thomas Toure recently refused a call-up for the Ivory Coast but may be tempted by the allure of a major continental competition.
Mali's Abdou Traore wasn't called up during qualification, and I cannot see him being invited for the Cup of Nations; however, could Senegal's Henri Saivet—recently returned after a long injury—make Alain Giresse's final 23?
Sagnol, who has a relatively small squad at the Stade Chaban-Delmas, will certainly be hoping not.
West Ham United
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An honourable mention here must go to Swansea City, Manchester City and Newcastle United who, without Wilfried Bony, Yaya Toure and Mehdi Abeid, Cheick Tiote and Papiss Demba Cisse, may lose momentum.
However, I believe West Ham United will be hit harder.
The Hammers' much-celebrated season so far has been constructed upon a base of African talent.
Diafra Sakho, who is one of a large roster of Senegalese strikers, has made an outstanding start to life in England since leaving Metz in the summer, and his goal threat will be missed.
The forward has seven goals in seven starts for the east London club, and his absence will put great pressure on the returning Andy Carroll and summer signings Enner Valencia and Mauro Zarate.
Senegal are also set to steal powerful midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate, whose presence and versatility will definitely be missed.
Sam Allardyce's worst midfield fears will be realised if Volker Finke also recalls Alex Song to the Cameroon squad in January. The midfielder has been exiled from the squad since his volatile contribution to the Lions' disastrous World Cup display, and it remains to be seen whether the German boss will take the risk.
Song's form since returning to England will be hard to ignore—the midfielder has been a key factor in the Hammers' European tilt.
Some solace for big Sam, however, as he looks around his barren dressing-room, will be that 33-year-old Guy Demel, firmly past his peak, is no longer part of the Ivory Coast's plans.
Every cloud, Sam...
Sevilla
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La Liga doesn't feature the same volume of African players as some of Europe's other major leagues, but there will be some key absentees when the Cup of Nations comes around.
Levante will lose valuable Senegal midfielder Pape Diop, Valencia will be without Algerian playmaker Sofiane Feghouli, while Getafe will have to do without his compatriot, Mehdi Lacen.
Set to be hit hardest, however, will, in my opinion, be Sevilla.
Last year's Europa League champions will be without the services of Cameroon defender Stephane Mbia. The ex-Queens Park Rangers man is a key component in the Indomitable Lions side and is also an important player for his club side, where he typically features in the centre of the midfield.
Despite his energetic presence, the Red and Whites have the worst defensive record in the top eight and the second-worst in the top 10. Things are only going to get worse with Mbia absent.
AS Roma
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Various Italian sides are set to lose key figures for the Cup of Nations.
Rafael Benitez will have to find a replacement for Faouzi Ghoulam, who will be heading to Equatorial Guinea, while Filippo Inzaghi will be hoping that the disgraced Sulley Muntari isn't welcomed back into the Ghana fold by new boss Avram Grant.
Set to be hit hardest, however, will be AS Roma, who will be without two key figures.
Gervinho is yet to hit the heights of last season, but he remains a direct and sporadically lethal attacking threat. He could be set for a long spell of absence with the Ivory Coast.
During the Cup of Nations, he will likely come up against team-mate Seydou Keita who, despite turning 35 during the tournament, remains a key figure for Mali.
The midfielder has started eight times since moving to Italy in the summer and has been a calming influence. Only one player, team-mate Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, has completed a higher percentage of passes so far this season, according to WhoScored.com.
Schalke 04
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Key Bundesliga figures such as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Salomon Kalou, Abdul Rahman Baba and Cedric Makiadi are primed to head to Equatorial Guinea in early 2015.
Each of their sides will be weakened for their absence.
However, I believe that new Schalke boss Roberto Di Matteo will be the most concerned.
Eric Choupo-Moting will definitely be heading to the tournament with Cameroon. He has scored eight of Schalke's 25 goals so far this season (32 percent of their total), and Di Matteo will need to find a replacement for his impact in the final third (via WhoScored).
If Choupo-Moting is the only player who leaves, he represents a key loss; however, one other star could also be off.
Avram Grant, on taking the Ghana job, has revealed that he would be open to Sulley Muntari and Kevin-Prince Boateng returning to the national team fold.
The pair were dismissed from the Black Stars' World Cup squad and haven't been seen since. Boateng has picked up a knee injury and will be absent until the new year, although Grant may still be tempted to take the gamble knowing that Kwadwo Asamoah is out of the tournament and Christian Atsu is a doubt.
