Manchester United seek AFCON release extensions for key trio

Manchester United are preparing to open discussions with the football federations of Cameroon, Morocco and Ivory Coast as they attempt to delay the early release of three important squad members for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, Sport360NG reports.

The tournament, scheduled from 21 December to 18 January, is set to overlap with a crucial period in the club’s season, meaning United stand to lose Bryan Mbeumo, Noussair Mazraoui and Amad Diallo for several fixtures.

Manager Ruben Amorim said the club hopes to negotiate arrangements that will allow the players to remain available for a longer period before reporting for national duty.

“We are trying to have the players a bit longer, but we will see. I think it is two weeks before the start. We will try to arrange something with the federations,” Amorim said.

“We already knew about AFCON, so it’s a chance for other players. It’s not ideal, they are very important to our squad.”