Premier League stars Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah head to Africa for 2023 Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers weary and disappointed after a 70-match season that ended with Liverpool's Champions League final loss. But the spotlight, as always, will be on Anfield teammates Mane and Salah, the last two winners of the African Footballer of the Year title. Fifpro believes footballers should not play more than 55 matches in a season, warning that stars like Mane and Salah are being pushed to their physical limits. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is sympathetic to his African stars, saying "Mane and Salah have two weeks off a year in a physically demanding job". Short flying distances between European countries help national team stars, but Mane, Salah and hundreds of other Africans regularly face many hours in the air, punctuated by lengthy stop-overs.

Source: The North Africa Journal May 31, 2022 03:38 UTC