Former Ghanaian footballer Emmanuel Agyemang Badu has voiced his apprehension regarding the scheduling of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which has the potential to pose significant challenges for African players.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) recently announced that the 34th edition of AFCON is slated to occur from December 2025 to January 2026.

This timing means that numerous top African players currently active in European leagues will be required to depart from their clubs during the season, missing out on celebrating the festive period with their families—a situation that Badu believes is problematic.

In an interview with Joy Sports, Badu acknowledged the complexities brought about by this scheduling but underscored the professional obligation players have to represent their countries.

"It's a very difficult situation, but this is our job. This is the kind of job we want to do," he emphasized. "You need to be there and represent your country.

You need to make yourself proud, your country proud. So whenever you get the call-up, whether it's Christmas time, whether the European club will worry us, you just need to come and do the job for your country."

Expressing concern over the impact on players, Badu called upon CAF to work towards avoiding such scheduling conflicts in the future.

"It's just unfortunate, but we need to abide by it and just go with it.

I hope it will not repeat itself because it will bring a lot of chaos for the players," he added, highlighting potential disruptions and logistical challenges during the congested holiday season.