Here’s an update of my recent article on the African Cup of Nations before you rush in to your game week 21 transfers and your January wildcard. Here’s the fantasy premier league affect and some of the better scoring players to avoid.
The ACON kicks off in South Africa on the 19 January and concludes with the final on February 10. That’s 3 weeks although some players will return before the final. Under FIFA laws the clubs have to let players leave 14 days before. That will probably mean game week 22 will be missed. February 10 means game week 26 will be missed for those in the final. Therefore potentially 5 game weeks
Here’s the teams that have qualified from the BBC web site:
2013 Nations Cup line-up
- South Africa (qualify as hosts)
- Algeria
- Angola
- Burkina Faso
- Cape Verde
- DR Congo
- Ethiopia
- Ghana
- Ivory Coast
- Mali
- Morocco
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Togo
- Tunisia
- Zambia
The squads have now been announced and here are some of the more notable players in fantasy premier league that are going and a note of who could possibly benefit in their absence
Gervinho – Arsenal and the Ivory coast
Good for Giroud, the Ox and Walcott
Ya Ya Toure – Man City and Ivory Coast
Good for all the City midfield and may mean Silva takes on a more central creative role
K Toure – Man City and Ivory Coast
Good for Nastasic although he’s way ahead anyway
Kone – Wigan and Ivory Coast
Good for Di Santo
Mulumbu – WBA and Congo
Moses – Chelsea and Nigeria
Good for Oscar
Obi Mikel – Chelsea and Nigeria
Good for Luiz playing in midfield
Maiga – West Ham and Mali
Good for Carlton Cole and Matt Taylor
El Ahmadi – Villa and Morocco
Good for Westwood and Bannan
Diarra – Fulham and Mali
Good for Sidwell, Karagounis and Baird
Tiote – Newcastle and the Ivory Coast
Good for Anita and Perch
Diakite – QPR and Mali
Good for Mbia, Faurlin and Granero
Odemwingie – WBA and Nigeria
Difficult to assess, possibly Dorrans and Gera
Demel – West Ham and Ivory Coast
Good for Tomkins
2. The most notable players NOT going are
Demba Ba and Pappa Cisse of Senegal and Taarabt of Morocco who was not selected also BAE and Mbia of Cameroon. Pienaar – Apparently getting some emotional blackmail to play bearing in mind it is in South Africa. Not named in the squad and as far as I can see wont be going. Anichebe – Nigeria not selected
3. Those where there is some uncertainty
Adebayor – refusing to play due to a dispute over money. Has been named in the squad but as far as I can see not going.
