AFCON final 2022: When does Africa Cup of Nations finish and Premier League players return - Date and kick-off time

The African Cup of Nations has almost reached its conclusion, with Senegal progressing through to the final after beating Burkina Faso 3-1 in yesterday’s semi-final.

The second semi takes place this evening as Egypt take on hosts Cameroon - offering us the potential of a Mo Salah v Sadio Mane finale.

The tournament has given us some thrilling results and shocking upsets, with the likes of Ghana and Nigeria knocked out.

But as we approach the business end of proceedings, many Premier League fans will be wondering how they can follow the remaining fixtures, and when some of their favourite players will be returning to domestic action.

We’ve gathered all the information you need to know below...

Which Premier League players are still at AFCON?

Senegal’s win over Burkina Faso means that Sadio Mane (Liverpool), Edouard Mendy (Chelsea), Nampalys Mendy (Leicester), Cheikhou Kouyate (Senegal) and Ismaila Sarr (Watford) all remain in Cameroon for this weekend’s final.

Meanwhile, Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Mohamed Elneny (Arsenal) and Mahmoud Trezeguet (Aston Villa) are all preparing to feature in Egypt’s clash with Cameroon today.

When is the final of AFCON 2022?

This year’s AFCON final will take place on Sunday February 6th, with the third-place play-off being contested earlier in the day.

What time does the final of AFCON 2022 kick off?

The action will get underway at 7pm GMT.

When will Premier League players return from AFCON?

Most Premier League players that have been knocked out of the competition so far will already be back in time for this weekend’s fixtures.

However, those that that have featured in the semi-finals - including Aston Villa’s Bertrand Traore for Burkina Faso - will miss out on the upcoming FA Cup ties.

The Premier League is back in action on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday next week - so AFCON players’ availability could depend on which day they are playing.

Watford are set to visit West Ham on Tuesday evening, so Sarr will likely be absent for the trip following Senegal’s progression to the final.

If Mane and Salah are to face off in the final then there is the potential of them to return for Liverpool’s match against Leicester on Thursday.

This could be a bad idea however, if Thomas Partey’s return to league action two days after featuring for Ghana is anything to go by.

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