AFCON 2025: “We’re angry,” Gernot Rohr slams the late release of internationals
FIFA has finally yielded to pressure from European clubs by postponing by one week the provision of African internationals for CAN 2025. A situation that is already disrupting the preparations of several national teams as the tournament approaches.
The saga over the provision of players for CAN 2025 has finally reached its conclusion. Faced with persistent pressure from European clubs, FIFA has formalized a loosening of the calendar, pushing back the release date for African internationals to December 15. A decision that is already drawing criticism, with less than two weeks until the tournament begins in Morocco.
Benin’s national team coach, Gernot Rohr, also says he is outraged by this decision of the world football governing body, which justifies its position by aligning with the exceptional protocol adopted during the 2022 World Cup, effectively shortening the player release period. In remarks reported by Africatopsports, the coach of the Guépards says that only one week of preparation is insufficient and amounts to a lack of respect for a competition of the CAN’s scale.
» One week of preparation for a CAN is insufficient and disrespectful. We are angry «, the Franco-German coach fumed. A cry of anger shared by his counterpart from Tanzania, Patrice Beaumelle, who believes it is no longer a preparation camp but just makeshift work, making it impossible to build a competitive team with so few training sessions.
» Releasing a player on the 15th for a CAN that starts on the 21st… That’s idiotic. You can’t prepare a serious team with two or three sessions. It’s no longer a camp, just tinkering «, the French coach thundered. With a major competition approaching, this new setback appears to be a blow to their preparation. It remains to be seen how each side will manage to readjust their schedule in an already very tight context. As a reminder, the tournament will take place from December 2, 2025 to January 18, 2026 in Morocco.
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