With the appearance of the Omicron variant, Premier League clubs began to worry about the health of footballers who would travel to Cameroon for the African Cup of Nations. A few weeks before the start of the tournament, various organizations that watch over human rights warn European clubs about the dangers of sending their players to a country divided in two, English-speaking and French-speaking. The first group felt marginalized by the second, but their sentiment was radicalized after the government of Paul Biya (President of the country since 1982) responded with violence to the initial protests in 2016. A conflict involving militias, whose objective is both military, police and civilians. Organizations like Human Rights Watch criticize these abuses, and also the atrocities committed by government forces.
In Ambazonia, the southwestern and northwestern regions of the country where the conflict is concentrated, is one of the venues for the African Cup of Nations: Limbe. There they will play six group stage matches, and two more matches corresponding to the round of 16. Both there and on the Bafoussam and Douala borders, the armed groups could see these duels as an opportunity to affect the tournament to try to internationalize a conflict of which little is known in the rest of the planet. Last January, there were car bombs in the vicinity of the Limbe stadium during the dispute of another continental tournament in which only footballers from African leagues participate. Bue, the epicenter of the conflict, is just 20 kilometers away from Limbe. Even the mascot of the tournament, Mola, has had to wear a bulletproof vest during the promotional events of the championship.
Almost 40 Premier League players are called up for the event, which will begin on January 9, and will end on February 6 at the Olembe stadium in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon.
ARSENAL
Thomas Partey (Ghana)
Mohamed Elneny (Egypt)
Pierre Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon)
Nicolas Pepe (Ivory Coast)
ASTON VILLA
Mahmoud Trezeguet (Egypt)
Bertrand Traore (Burkina Faso)
Marvelous Nakamba (Zimbabwe)
BRENTFORD
Julian Jeanvier (Guinea)
Frank Onyeka (Nigeria)
Tariqe Fosu-Henry (Ghana)
BRIGHTON
Yves Bissouma (Mali)
BURNLEY
Maxwel Cornet (Ivory Coast)
CHELSEA
Edouard Mendy (Senegal)
CRYSTAL PALACE
Cheikhou Kouyate (Senegal)
Jeffrey Schlupp (Ghana)
Jordan Ayew (Ghana)
Wilfried Zaha (Ivory Coast)
EVERTON
Jean-Philippe Gbamin (Ivory Coast)
Alex Iwobi (Nigeria)
LEICESTER
Daniel Amartey (Ghana)
Nampalys Mendy (Senegal)
Wilfred Ndidi (Nigeria)
Kelechi Iheanacho (Nigeria)
LIVERPOOL
Mo Salah (Egypt)
Naby Keita (Guinea)
Sadio Mane (Senegal)
MANCHESTER CITY
Riyad Mahrez (Algeria)
MANCHESTER UNITED
Eric Bailly (Ivory Coast)
Amad Diallo (Ivory Coast)
SOUTHAMPTON
Moussa Djenepo (Mali)
Mohammed Salisu (Ghana)
WATFORD
Peter Etebo (Nigeria)
William Troost-Ekong (Nigeria)
Adam Masina (Morocco)
Ismaila Sarr (Senegal)
Emmanuel Dennis (Nigeria)
WEST HAM
Said Benrahma (Algeria)
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
Romain Saiss (Morocco)
Willy Boly (Ivory Coast)
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