The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament represents Africa’s biggest football competition and the qualifying rounds for the 2027 edition set to take place in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania will kick off this week.
While several players will be hoping to deliver stellar performances to help their countries to a fast start in the qualifiers, some other big names will be missing from the first round of qualifiers either due to injury, fitness concerns or suspension.
Here are five African stars who will miss the first round of AFCON 2027 qualifiers.
Victor Osimhen (Nigeria)
Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen headlines the biggest names that will be absent from the September round of qualifying matches.
The 27-year-old was initially named in Eric Chelle’s 24-man squad for Nigeria’s games against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau, tasked with spearheading the attack and leading the line from the front.
However, he eventually withdrew due to an injury problem he suffered in action with Galatasaray. The injury had forced him to miss several games for the club and he was not fit in time to feature for the Super Eagles, leaving them to call Taiwo Awoniyi as his replacement ahead of the two crucial games.
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Mohammed Kudus (Ghana)
Tottenham Hotspur winger Mohammed Kudus is another top African star who will miss the first round of qualifying games for four-time champions Ghana, as they prepare to face Ivory Coast and Gambia over the course of the next few days.
The former West Ham winger recently returned to action after a seven-month injury layoff that also forced him to miss the 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament.
While he was named in the initial squad, he eventually withdrew to continue his recovery and avoid aggravating his injury situation.
Achraf Hakimi (Morocco)
Africa Footballer of the Year award winner Achraf Hakimi also appears on this list as he will miss Morocco’s opening game against Gabon on Thursday.
The PSG star was handed a two-game suspension by CAF following incidents in the 2025 AFCON final against Senegal, which will force him to be absent from the clash
However, the ban mandates the 27-year-old to miss one game, while the other game is a suspended sentence and would see him return for their second game of the window against Lesotho next week.
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Edouard Mendy (Senegal)
Former Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy will also be absent from Senegal’s first round of qualifying matches after he announced his retirement from international football earlier in the year.
The Al Ahli goalkeeper made his debut for the Lions of Teranga in 2018 and was an ever present until he announced his retirement.
Head coach Patrick Vieira will no be tasked with searching for a new first-choice goalkeeper to replace Mendy ahead of the games against Mozambique and Ethiopia this month.
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Sadio Mane (Senegal)
Sadio Mane was a major absentee from Patrick Vieira’s first squad as head coach of Senegal ahead of their two crucial AFCON 2927 qualifying games this month.
The former Liverpool forward has been an ever-present since making his debut for the country in 2012.
However, Vieira revealed that the winger was left out from the squad due to a minor injury problem and not because he had retired, leaving the door open for a return to the team during the next round of qualifying matches.
