The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations will kick off tomorrow as host nation Morocco take on Comoros in the opening match at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.
A total of 24 African nations will compete for continental glory, all aiming to dethrone defending champions Ivory Coast who won the previous edition with victory over Nigeria in the final.
The tournament promises plenty of excitement, with a host of African talents set to showcase their quality as they lead their countries in pursuit of success.
However, a number of high-profile stars will be missing from the competition, either due to omission from their national squads or their countries’ failure to qualify for the tournament.
In this piece, SportPremi takes a look at five top African Stars that will be absent when the tournament kicks off on Sunday in Morocco;
1. Antoine Semenyo (Ghana):
One of Africa’s most exciting footballers at the moment, Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo will not participate at the 2025 African Cup of Nations tournament due to Ghana’s failure to qualify for the tournament.
The Black Stars endured a disappointing qualifying campaign as they finished bottom of group F, with Angola and Sudan advancing instead.
The 25-year-old will turn his attention to club football, where he is poised to make an exit from Bournemouth in the January transfer window, with the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur all competing to acquire his services.
2. Andre Onana (Cameroon):
Cameroon head into the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations with their squad selection overshadowed by controversy.
The Indomitable Lions currently have two competing squad lists: one submitted by estranged head coach Marc Brys and another officially recognised list compiled by David Pagou, who was appointed earlier this month by federation president Samuel Eto’o.
As a result of the confusion, Andre Onana and Vincent Aboubakar are set to miss the tournament in surprising circumstances, despite the goalkeeper’s revival in form since his move to Turkey.
3. Maduka Okoye (Nigeria):
When Nigerian head coach Eric Chelle unveiled his final 28-man squad for the African Cup of Nations, the major talking point was the exclusion of goalkeeper Maduka Okoye.
The Udinese shot-stopper was expected to be among the final participants especially as he was the only Super Eagles goalkeeper in Europe’s top-flight leagues, but was surprisingly left out of the team.
The 26-year-old has been in superb form for the Italian club since his return from a betting suspension, although no reason has been given yet for his omission from the squad
4. Serrhou Guirassy (Guinea):
One of the continent’s most prolific strikers in the world, Serrhou Guirassy will play no part in this edition of the AFCON as Guinea failed to secure qualification.
The National Elephants narrowly missed out on qualification, finishing just a point behind Tanzania who snatched the spot instead.
5. Yoane Wissa (DR Congo):
Despite the participation of the Democratic Republic of Congo in the AFCON tournament, talisman Yoane Wissa was excluded from the final squad due to fitness concerns.
The striker has suffered from various injury problems since his move to Newcastle United in the summer, which delayed his debut for the Magpies.
However, he will focused on returning to form and making the Leopards squad for next year’s intercontinental playoffs for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
