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AFCON 2023: Premier League Extends Release Window to 18 January to Accommodate Qatar Tournament

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  Published in Sports and Competition on Thursday, December 18th 2025 at 6:35 GMT by Sporting News

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AFCON Premier League: When Players Leave, When They Return – A Complete Calendar for 2023

The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2023, held in Qatar from 9 January to 6 February, ran through the middle of the Premier League’s winter break. While the tournament itself is a continental showcase, the implications for the English top flight are far more practical: the timing of player departures and the dates on which they return to club duty. Sporting News Canada has laid out the entire timeline, explaining how the Premier League’s release windows, the CAF fixture list and the players’ return dates all interlock.

1. The Premier League’s International Release Policy

Under FIFA regulations, clubs must allow players to leave for “international duty” during specified windows. The Premier League normally follows the two FIFA windows:

Because AFCON’s schedule overlapped those windows, the Premier League extended the first window by a week. The league’s release period for AFCON players ran 10 January to 18 January, giving clubs the flexibility to release more than the standard number of internationals and ensuring that all selected players could travel to Qatar in time for their first matches on 9 January.

The extended window was announced on the Premier League’s official site (see the Player Release Policy page), which also clarified that clubs could sign a temporary replacement player (a free transfer or loan) if they lose three or more senior players to international duty. This rule was intended to cushion the impact on clubs with a high number of African internationals.

2. The CAF AFCON Fixture Calendar

CAF’s official tournament calendar (available on the CAF website) shows a tightly packed group stage and knockout schedule:

• Group Stage – 9 January to 24 January
  Each team played three matches over a 15‑day period, with 1–2 rest days between games.

• Knockout Stage – 28 January to 6 February
  Quarter‑finals on 28 January, semi‑finals on 2 February, and the final on 6 February.

Because the final match was scheduled for 6 February, players whose national teams made it to the end of the tournament could be away for almost a month. The Premier League therefore had to consider a return window that would allow those players to arrive back in time for pre‑winter‑break training.

3. Return Dates and Fixture Congestion

Players who were released during the extended 10‑18 January window were generally scheduled to return to club duty on 23 January. This aligns with the start of the second FIFA window, giving them a few days to travel back, recover from jet lag and prepare for the Premier League’s “post‑break” fixtures.

However, players whose national teams progressed to the knockout rounds would return later, often after 28 January. For example, an international who played the final on 6 February would typically be back with his club by 13 February—the first club match after the “pre‑winter‑break” training session. Clubs therefore had to manage the absence of key players for the final round of mid‑week fixtures and the early‑season Saturday and Sunday games.

4. Clubs Most Affected

A number of Premier League clubs have a significant African contingent, and several had players called up for AFCON 2023:

Note: The numbers above are illustrative; the article lists the specific call‑ups for each club.

Because clubs had to field squads without these players for several matches, the Premier League’s temporary replacement rule became a lifeline. Some clubs, such as West Ham, signed short‑term loan players to cover the absence of their international defenders, while others opted to rotate the squad more heavily, giving fringe players a chance to prove themselves.

5. What This Means for Fans

For supporters, the AFCON release window meant a few key takeaways:

1. Matches During the Break – Some clubs still played on the 12‑13 January dates (e.g., West Ham vs. Newcastle on 12 January) but fielded squads missing their international stars.
2. Training Adjustments – Clubs paused full‑training sessions on the release dates and resumed on 23 January, meaning the “pre‑break” training camp for the new season started a week earlier than usual.
3. Return Surprise – Players who returned from the final on 6 February could be expected in the squad for the first post‑break fixture (mid‑week match on 13 February). Their reintegration was often brief before the Saturday fixtures.

The Premier League’s communication strategy (via the International Break page on the league’s website) provided weekly updates on which players were home, which were abroad, and when they were expected to return.

6. Additional Resources

For readers who want the full specifics, Sporting News links to the following resources:

• CAF’s Official AFCON 2023 Calendar – Provides match dates, venues, and timings.
• Premier League Player Release Policy – Outlines the rules governing player departures and temporary replacements.
• FIFA International Match Calendar – Explains the global framework within which the Premier League’s windows operate.

7. Bottom Line

AFCON 2023 introduced a complex set of release and return dates for Premier League clubs, forcing them to juggle a crowded fixture list, squad depth, and player welfare. By extending the first international window to 18 January and offering a temporary replacement rule, the Premier League aimed to minimize disruption while still honoring its commitment to international football. As the league entered the final quarter‑finals of AFCON on 28 January, fans watched not only the African nations fighting for glory in Qatar but also the ripple effects that rippled back to the English pitch.