Sunderland handed double AFCON squad selection blow as Habib Diarra decision is announced
Sunderland lose Habib Diarra and Chemsdine Talbi to AFCON duty as several more players receive tournament call-ups
Sunderland have been dealt a double blow ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations after both Habib Diarra and Chemsdine Talbi were named in their countries’ final squads for the tournament.
Diarra has been selected by Senegal despite only recently returning to training following groin surgery, while Talbi has been included in Morocco’s group for the competition in what will be his first major tournament call-up. The news adds to the growing list of Sunderland players set to depart for AFCON next week.
Reinildo Mandava has been confirmed in Mozambique’s squad and will head into a challenging Group B featuring the Ivory Coast, Gabon and Cameroon. The left-back has been reintegrated into Régis Le Bris’ side in recent weeks but will now miss a key chunk of the Premier League campaign as he represents his country on one of the continent’s biggest stages.
Bertrand Traoré has also been called up by Burkina Faso and will feature in group games against Equatorial Guinea, Algeria and Sudan. The winger has rediscovered form on Wearside in recent weeks and will hope to translate that momentum into international performances. Noah Sadiki and Arthur Masuaku have both been included by DR Congo, increasing Sunderland’s presence at the tournament and further stretching Le Bris’ resources for the month ahead.
The biggest surprise came with Simon Adingra. The winger, who played a key role in Ivory Coast’s 2023 triumph and was named Young Player of the Tournament, has been omitted from the squad entirely. He is not included either in the main group or the reserve list, with his lack of minutes at Sunderland this season understood to be the decisive factor. The decision will come as a major personal disappointment for the 24-year-old but offers a significant boost for Sunderland, who had expected to lose him during a demanding winter period.
AFCON begins next weekend and runs for around a month, with the group stage concluding at the end of December. Channel 4 will broadcast the competition in the UK, and Sunderland fans will no doubt track the fortunes of their international representatives closely throughout the festive period.
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Crucially, all of Sunderland’s African players remain available for this weekend’s Wear-Tyne derby, with Le Bris able to select from a full complement before departures begin. Newcastle United visit the Stadium of Light on Sunday afternoon for the first Premier League meeting between the rivals in eight years, setting the stage for one of the most eagerly anticipated fixtures of the season. Diarra, however, is not expected to make Le Bris’ Wear-Tyne squad as he continues his return from injury.