Manchester United risks losing Mbemba for six weeks due to the Africa Cup of Nations! Just named best player, opponent’s coach holds him as a role model

Manchester United winger Mbemba will let the club and Cameroon FA negotiate the timing of his involvement in the Africa Cup of Nations. The £71 million acquisition has performed impressively this season, netting five goals and earning the Premier League’s October Player of the Month honor.

However, Mbemba will confront tough international fixtures during these two months. Cameroon is set to compete in the World Cup qualifying playoffs this month, which will directly determine their participation in next summer’s CONCACAF World Cup, followed by the Africa Cup starting on December 21.

Mbemba is eager to represent the Cameroon national team; this will be his first Africa Cup of Nations after missing the last tournament due to injury. At the same time, he hopes the club and national team can reach an agreement regarding his participation schedule to avoid conflicts.

According to FIFA regulations, clubs must release players at least two weeks before major tournaments begin, allowing national teams sufficient preparation time. If strictly enforced, Manchester United’s Mbemba, Amad Diallo, and Mazraoui could be absent for up to six weeks!

If released two weeks early, United’s African internationals would miss matches against Wolves on December 8, Bournemouth on December 15, and Aston Villa on December 21. However, many clubs negotiate with African federations to shorten players’ absence for tournament preparations.

It is expected that Manchester United will want Mbemba and others to stay until after the Villa match before heading to Africa, but this might come at a cost to the national team. Sources told The Sun that United executives will travel to Morocco next week to negotiate with Cameroon FA representatives ahead of the World Cup qualifiers.

Before the last Africa Cup, goalkeeper André Onana delayed his departure from Manchester United until the last moment, resulting in him being left out of Cameroon’s opening group match against Guinea. Then Cameroon coach Rigobert Song was furious that Onana played a league game against Tottenham just 24 hours before the first tournament match. Ultimately, both Onana and Cameroon underperformed and were eliminated in the group stage.

British media report that Mbemba is determined to learn from Onana’s experience, aiming not to upset Manchester United nor disappoint his homeland Cameroon. He hopes both parties can clearly agree on his arrival date. Cameroon, Ivory Coast, and Morocco are among the favorites to win this Africa Cup, and if these teams progress far, Manchester United may face a prolonged absence of several key players.

Among them, Mbemba’s impact is clearly the greatest. His Premier League performances have been consistently strong. This week, Tottenham’s coach Thomas Frank even cited the 26-year-old Cameroonian international as a role model for his own players, such as Brennan Johnson.

Frank developed Mbemba at Brentford, helping him rise from a Ligue 2 player to a Premier League star. About his prized player, Frank said: “In many ways, Bryan (Mbemba) is now close to becoming a true winger. He’s very fast, can pass and dribble, and also scores goals. He’s extremely hardworking and an excellent team member. After working with a player for six years, you naturally form a strong bond. He’s the perfect example of attitude for other players — confident yet humble and modest.”