Top Stars Missing as Africa Cup of Nations Kicks Off
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The Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) begins this weekend, but several of the continent's biggest football stars will be absent.
Their nations did not qualify for the tournament. For example, Ghana's failure to qualify means their top players will not feature.
Some surprising omissions came from qualified teams. Ivory Coast left out Simon Adingra, who was the best young player at the last Afcon.
In another unexpected move, Nigeria's William Troost-Ekong has retired from international football. He was voted the best player at the 2023 tournament.
The absences will affect many Premier League clubs, who have released players for the competition.