If there’s any club currently in the world that wished the AFCON is abolished, that definitely will be Liverpool.
It will be difficult for the club to deal with when three of their best players departs in the midst of the season.
Reason can now be drawn to why Klopp refers to as AFCON as a small tournament.
As per the FIFA regulations, Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Naby Keita are due to leave the club after the Boxing Day fixture against Leeds.
However, Liverpool want them to stay for away games at Leicester on December 28 and Chelsea on January 2.
“It’s not decided yet. I am an optimistic person, so I hope so, but it’s not written in stone and not completely in our hands,” Klopp said on the matter, as per The Guardian.
While the European Club Association has expressed ‘deep concerns’ over holding the tournament amid a resurgence of a new coronavirus variant, the AFCON is due to take place between January 9 and February 6.
