Ange Postecoglou will be one of a number of Premier League managers with a real headache to solve in January 2024 with the AFC Asian Cup and Africa Cup of Nations commencing at the exact same time
Ange Postecoglou is going to have quite the headache on his hands at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium at the turn of the year. A key time in the calendar with all clubs having the opportunity to strengthen in the transfer market, a number of Premier League players will be jetting off across the globe come the middle of January.
While of course some will be heading off for a new challenge elsewhere, quite a few will be departing England to go and represent their country with two international tournaments set to take place. The AFC Asian Cup is one of those as it will now be played in Qatar after it was initially pencilled in to be played in China this summer until it was announced that they would not host the tournament due to the Covid-19 situation in the country.
As well as the AFC Asian Cup getting underway in January, the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations will also be taking place in January and early February. The tournament, which will be played in Ivory Coast next year, will start one day after the Asian Cup commences and draw to a conclusion 24 hours after it comes to a close.
Just like the Asian Cup, the Africa Cup of Nations was due to be played this summer but it was instead pushed back to January in order to avoid Ivory Coast's rainy season. That in turn is going to hand Premier League managers a huge challenge as many will have players of either Asian or African descent who will now be departing to play for their country.
In terms of the Africa Cup of Nations, Tottenham have Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr who represent Mali and Senegal respectively. While it's not clear to see what will happen with Sarr just yet ahead of the coming season as a loan move could be a possibility so he can play regularly to aid his development, Bissouma is expected to play a major part in Postecoglou's plans.
Signed from Brighton & Hove Albion last summer after wowing on the south coast, Tottenham never saw the best of the Mali international in his debut season for the club. Finding himself behind Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur in the midfield pecking order, Antonio Conte's tactical demands also appeared to restrict the player and he struggled to replicate his Brighton form as a result.
Bissouma looks made for the No.6 role in Postecoglou's team as he can drop deep, gain possession from his centre-backs and then team up with the full-backs and wingers with his range of passing. Previously playing that way during his time at Brighton, the 26-year-old could be a major hit under the new coach.
However, that will all depend on when exactly they depart for the tournament and how the Lilywhites fare in both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup. In January, the first and second legs of the Carabao Cup semi-final and fourth round of the FA Cup are on the agenda, as well as Tottenham's Premier League games against Manchester United and Brentford.
The beginning of February then sees the Lilywhites travel to Everton at the start of the month before then facing Brighton at home a week later. Forward planning is going to be a must for Postecoglou and Tottenham with Son, Bissouma and Sarr all set to head off for international football commitments at the start of 2024.
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