AFCON and Asian Cup Impact on Salah, Kudus

 AFCON and Asian Cup Impact on Salah, Kudus

Mohamed Salah of Egypt reacts after scoring to make the score 2-2 during the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations group stage match between Egypt and Mozambique at on January 14, 2024 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.(Image-Getty)

The Scout provides updates on Fantasy Premier League (FPL) players participating in international tournaments.

Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON):

In the AFCON clash between Egypt and Ghana on Thursday at 20:00 GMT, FPL managers should pay close attention. Liverpool's Mohamed Salah (£13.1m) and West Ham United’s Mohammed Kudus (£6.8m) are pivotal figures in this encounter, which holds significant implications for their teams' group stage progression.

Despite Salah's efforts, Egypt managed only a 2-2 draw against Mozambique in their opening match, while Kudus was absent in Ghana's 2-1 defeat to Cape Verde. A win for Ghana in this match would be favorable for FPL managers, potentially making Salah available for Liverpool's Gameweek 22 clash with Chelsea if Egypt struggles to advance.

Similarly, if Ghana faces another defeat, Kudus might return to West Ham for their Gameweek 22 home fixture against AFC Bournemouth.

Asian Cup:

Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min (£9.7m) may not return to action for Spurs as quickly as FPL managers hope. Although he played the full 90 minutes in South Korea's 3-1 win over Bahrain on Monday, ensuring their progression towards the Asian Cup knockout stages, a win against Jordan on Saturday could extend his absence for Gameweek 22.

Wolverhampton Wanderers' Hwang Hee-chan (£5.6m), a significant Fantasy scorer before the tournaments began, missed the match due to injury. If South Korea secures a spot in the last 16, both Son and Hwang would be unavailable for FPL managers in Gameweek 22. Stay tuned for further updates as these international tournaments unfold.

Group B Standings:

| Country      | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goal Difference | Points |

|--------------|--------|------|-------|--------|------------------|--------|

| Cape Verde   | 1      | 1    | 0     | 0      | +1               | 3      |

| Egypt        | 1      | 0    | 1     | 0      | 0                | 1      |

| Mozambique   | 1      | 0    | 1     | 0      | 0                | 1      |

| Ghana        | 1      | 0    | 0     | 1      | -1               | 0      |

Current Standings in Group B:

- Cape Verde leads with 3 points after a victorious opening match.

- Egypt secured a draw, earning them 1 point and placing them in second.

- Mozambique shares the same points and goal difference as Egypt, currently in third.

- Ghana is at the bottom with no points after a defeat in their initial match.

Stay tuned for further updates as the group stage unfolds.