Image Credits: Imago Images
Liverpool could face additional complications in their bid to retain Mohamed Salah’s services for as long as possible, after Egypt manager Hossam Hassan made the decision to bring forward the start of their Africa Cup of Nations preparation camp.
Under FIFA regulations, clubs are mandated to release players 14 days before the start of a major tournament.
With AFCON 2025 kicking off on 21 December in Morocco, this means the official release date falls on 8 December – right in the midst of Liverpool’s hectic festive schedule.
According to WinWin Sports, CAF has now formally confirmed this deadline, instructing all 24 participating nations that clubs must release players by 8 December following official FIFA regulations.
This comes as a blow to Liverpool, who had hoped to have Salah available for their Premier League clash against Brighton on 13 December.
Now according to the same outlet, manager Hossam Hassan has opted to start Egypt’s training camp even earlier than initially planned.
It is claimed that the Egyptian Football Association received a request from the national team coach to move the camp start date from 7 December to 1 December.
The decision was made to allow for greater preparation time ahead of the tournament, taking advantage of the Egyptian Premier League’s suspension.
Hossam Hassan still wants Salah available for a high-profile friendly against Nigeria on 14 December at Cairo International Stadium .
EFA president Hany Abou Rida is reportedly in personal contact with both Liverpool and Manchester City regarding the release of Salah and Omar Marmoush respectively.
Liverpool face Brighton at Anfield on 13 December and are reluctant to release their talisman before that fixture. Salah himself is said to be keen to play as many games as possible for his club before departing, with the Reds also facing a tough Champions League trip to Inter on 9 December.
If Egypt were to demand Salah’s presence from 8 December, he would miss the Brighton match and could be absent for up to eight fixtures should Egypt reach the latter stages of the tournament.
The Pharaohs begin their campaign on 22 December against Zimbabwe, with the final scheduled for 18 January 2026.
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