Africa begins the group stage of its World Cup qualifiers on Wednesday, with countries forced to shuffle their lineups due to British clubs' unwillingness to release some of their finest players for key matches.
The majority are from the Premier League, which refused to let players to go to nations on the British government's COVID-19 red list, where they would be quarantined for 10 days upon their return.
Egypt will be without star Mohamed Salah against Angola at home on Friday, but might use him away against Gabon the following week.
Sadio Mane and Naby Keita of Liverpool are both playing in nations on the amber list and hence eligible for Senegal and Guinea in their respective scheduled qualifiers over the next seven days.
Nigeria will have a full squad at home against Liberia on Friday, but will be missing eight players residing in England and Scotland, including midfield general Wilfred Ndidi and Leicester City teammate Kelechi Iheanacho, since the archipelago is on the red list.
Ghana will have five English-speaking players available for their Group G home encounter against Ethiopia on Friday, but they will be unable to travel to red-listed South Africa for their following game on Monday.
The Ivory Coast will be without Wilfried Zaha and Nicolas Pepe for their first game in Mozambique on Friday, but Eric Bailly of Manchester United and Serge Aurier of Tottenham Hotspur will be available for the crucial Group D encounter against Cameroon in Abidjan on Monday.
“We’ve been under continual pressure from clubs not to select their players. In March it was the French clubs who refused and now it’s the English,” said Ivory Coast coach Patrice Beaumelle.
“I’m tired of the whole affair and I think it’s uncalled for because everything is well organised these days with regular testing, safe travel and closed stadiums to minimise any risk,” he told Reuters on Monday.