West Ham United manager David Moyes has expressed his disappointment regarding the imminent departure of key African players from his squad to participate in the 2023 CAF Africa Cup of Nations.
Moyes is set to bid farewell to Ghana’s Mohammed Kudus, Algeria’s Said Benrahma, and Morocco’s Nayef Aguerd, as they answer the call to represent their respective national teams in the upcoming championship.
The trio’s absence, expected to last at least three weeks, poses a managerial challenge for Moyes, given their significant contributions to The Hammers this season.
Reflecting on the situation in a pre-game press conference ahead of West Ham’s clash with Tottenham Hotspurs on Thursday, December 7, Moyes acknowledged the disappointment of losing key players during the African Cup of Nations.
“I’ve worked with many African players during my career. I worked with Joseph Yobo and Yakubu at Everton, and many others, and I know the support of these players from Africa. The Premier League is global, as is the support for the league, and those fans are all keen for their own players to do well”
“We’ve got Mo Kudus, and we’ve also got Saïd Benrahma from Algeria and Nayef Aguerd from Morocco. The disappointing bit, and the thing we’ll need to manage, is losing those players for a month during the African Cup of Nations. But that’s part of it,” Moyes stated.
The seasoned manager, having previously navigated similar challenges with African players during his tenure at Everton, recognizes the impact such international commitments can have on team dynamics.
West Ham United faces Tottenham Hotspurs in a London derby at the Tottenham Stadium on Thursday at 20:15 GMT.
