The start of the Africa Cup of Nations in January 2024 will once again create controversy as it comes in the middle of the European club season.
Some 24 nations will be bidding to be crowned as AFCON winners in the Ivory Coast, but the prospect of losing key players is causing headaches for club sides, as the 2023/24 campaign enters a crucial phase.
The January-February window is busy in the Premier League and the majority of other big European leagues, with the return of the Champions League earmarked for just two days after the AFCON final.
The Sporting News looks at when AFCON squads are announced and the deadline for players to be released for international duty.
MORE: When is AFCON? Key dates and schedule for tournament
When are AFCON 2024 squads announced?
Following a lengthy delay, AFCON confirmed all participating nations had submitted their final squad lists by the January 3 deadline.
Each nation will liaise with clubs to confirm precise release dates for players ahead of the tournament with national associations holding the advantage to request a player call up.
How many Premier League, Champions League games will be missed for AFCON 2024?
Despite the prospect of a mid-season international tournament, the disruption to the Premier League calendar will be noticeably reduced, from the start of 2024.
The plan for the 2024 tournament — and its predecessor in 2022 — was to hold them in the previous summer, in 2021 and 2023 respectively, but this was rejected over player welfare concerns, with a northern hemisphere winter structure adopted instead.
AFCON 2024 starts on January 13, but the Premier League begins a two-week break from January 15th to 28th, with no top-flight domestic games played in that period.
The FA Cup Third Round is scheduled for January 6th with the Fourth Round set for January 27.
The likelihood is the majority of Premier League players called up for AFCON duty will miss January's first set of FA Cup action, and one Premier League game on the weekend of January 13-14, as they go away to join up with international squads.
Premier League returns will ultimately be decided by how far individual countries advance within the tournament as a run to the knockout stages would mean absences for the FA Cup Fourth Round and possibly two more Premier League games.
There will also be an knock-on effect on the Carabao Cup with the semifinal second legs scheduled for January 21.
However, the European club calendar will not technically be affected, with the Champions League Round of 16 starting on February 13-14 and the Europa League and Europa Conference League on February 15.
The major concern for club managers is over injuries and fatigue with each situation handled differently to ensure players are given a break before returning to domestic matches.
When is AFCON 2024?
The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations will run from mid-January through mid-February of 2024.
The qualified nations for the final tournament total 24, with the group stage lasting 11 days. The top two teams in each of the six groups will advance, plus the top four third-place finishers to make up the last 16.
The knockout stages begin on January 27 with the final scheduled for February 11.
| Stage | Dates | Nations |
| Group Stage | Jan. 13 — 24 | 24 |
| Round of 16 | Jan. 27 — 30 | 16 |
| Quarterfinals | Feb. 2 — 3 | 8 |
| Semifinals | Feb. 7 | 4 |
| 3rd Place Match | Feb. 10 | 2 |
| Final | Feb. 11 | 2 |