African Nations Cup: Matthew Spiroon how top clubs must paper over the cracks as key players flock to Egypt
That the African Cup of Nations is set to kick off in Egypt next Friday should not come as a surprise to European club managers. The biennial tournament has, after all, been scheduled into the international calendar for some time. Yet, this has not prevented many of them expressing their anguish at the prospect of losing players during a vital time in the European season.
Sam Allardyce, Alan Curbishley, José Mourinho, Bryan Robson and Arsene Wenger are among the Premiership managers to have bickered over the timing of the tournament, many of them pleading with national federations to allow their players to stay until the last possible moment.
The results have been mixed, and the tantrums plentiful. "It's quite amazing when you get to a period where there is no common sense at all," ranted Wenger after Côte d'Ivoire insisted on Arsenal releasing Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Eboue prior to last weekend's FA Cup's tie.
Tottenham had more luck with their Egyptian striker Mido, while Chelsea, who were planning to jet Michael Essien in and out between games, have seemingly been spared the cost by the Ghanaian sustaining an ankle injury.
Meanwhile, Charlton manager Curbishley, who is without Morocco defender Talal El-Kharkouri, was perhaps the most animated in imploring with the authorities to move future African Nations to a more suitable period. However, that suggestion is invariably met with hostility in Africa, where there is a reluctance to reschedule their showpiece event to appease the whims of European clubs.
Moreover, the practicalities of holding the tournament in June or July, where temperatures in Central and Northern African soar into the 40s and many countries experience torrential rain, complicates the issue further.
It is a problem that English Premiership clubs are not accustomed to and they are having trouble adjusting. As recently as 1998, just three English-based players took part in the African Nations, but the figure has been steadily rising and in Egypt there will be a record 27 players on the payrolls of English clubs.
Bolton are the most affected, with Abdoulaye Faye and El-Hadji Diouf playing for Senegal, Radhi Jaidi lining up for Tunisia and Jay-Jay Okocha captaining Nigeria.
Harry Redknapp, meanwhile, bizarrely broke Portsmouth's transfer record last week by signing a third African striker, Zimbabwe's Benjani Mwaruwari, who, like DR Congo captain Lomana LuaLua and Collins Mbesuma of Zambia, is heading off on extended leave.
In France, where African players have been present for far longer, managers seem better prepared. And they will need to be. At the last count 76 French-based players were on the squad lists of the 16 competing nations, with 25 Ligue 1 players selected by Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire alone.
A flurry of transfer activity during the winter break, with countless loan signings being pushed through, is helping teams paper over cracks.
Marseille are without four top players in Taye Taiwo and Wilson Oruma, both of Nigeria, and Senegalese pair Mamadou Niang and Habib Beye. Their manager Jean Fernandez has been busy reinforcing the relevant sectors. "We knew long in advance it would become an issue, so we have no excuse," reasoned Fernandez, who has brought in left back Jerome Bonnissel on loan to replace Taiwo, and strengthened the attack with Toifilou Maoulida, on loan from Monaco, and Mickael Pagis.
Likewise, Saint-Etienne, stripped of five first-team regulars, have made short-term acquisitions. One of them, Helder Postiga, who is on loan from Porto, scored the winner at Metz on Wednesday.
If France has learned its lesson through obligation, a host of European countries are still struggling. Belgium, Portugal, Italy and the Netherlands, nations with strong colonial links, will witness a flood of departures, while Spanish club managers have grumbled almost as much as their English counterparts.
Barcelona held protracted talks with Cameroon over Samuel Eto'o, and will be allowed to keep the African Player of the Year until next week. That decision has not sat well with their rivals Osasuna, who have already had to relinquish Eto'o's international strike-partner Achille Webo.
For all the wheeling and dealing and for all the fuss, the bottom line is that the vast majority of European-based stars will be present in Egypt, which is great news for African fans.
As for grotesquely rich clubs such as Barcelona and Chelsea . . . well, they are just going to have to muddle through for a few weeks somehow.
