AFCON's missing men - What are stars like Boniface, Zaha & Choupo-Moting up to?
Inevitably, at each Africa Cup of Nations, some of the continent's biggest names are missing for a whole array of reasons. Let's catch up on what some of these absent stars have been doing while the rest have been competing for Africa's grandest prize.
Manchester United's Hannibal Mejbri was one of a handful of players who rejected their country's Nations Cup invitation. Despite representing the Carthage Eagles at the World Cup, Mejbri informed Tunisia head coach Jalel Kadri that he was unwilling to join the selection for the AFCON, preferring instead to concentrate on his club career.
"Hannibal told me that he did not feel ready for the African Cup of Nations because he is going through an important situation at his club," Kadri told journalists in a press conference in December.
United duly announced that Mejbri had been loaned out to Sevilla the day before the Eagles' defeat by Namibia, and he made his debut in the Rojiblancos' 5-1 defeat by Girona on Sunday.
Ghana's Abdul Fatawu Issahaku is another who turned down the opportunity to feature at the global showpiece, having played just 65 minutes for the Black Stars at the last AFCON, and one minute in Qatar, despite being named in then-coach Chris Hughton's provisional squad.
The winger preferred to remain in England and help LeicesterCity's promotion push back to the Premier League, but his decision hasn't paid off, with the 19-year-old getting sent off in the latter stages of the Foxes' 3-1 defeat by Coventry City on January 13.
A straight red means a three-match suspension, meaning the teenager will only be back - at the earliest - on February 3. Perhaps it mightn't have been such a bad move to accept that AFCON call-up after all!
Ex-Chelsea leftback Abdul Rahman Baba
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