2023 AFCON: It’s disappointing to lose Mohammed Kudus, other African players but it’s necessary - David Moyes

West Ham United manager, David Moyes has expressed his disappointment regarding the imminent departure of key African players from his squad for the 2023 CAF Africa Cup of Nations.

Ghana's Mohammed Kudus, Algeria's Said Benrahma, and Morocco's Nayef Aguerd are expected to represent their respective national teams, causing Moyes to lose their services for at least three weeks.

The trio, who have been instrumental for The Hammers this season, will be missed, particularly Mohammed Kudus, according to Moyes.

The veteran coach, drawing from past experiences at Everton with Nigerian players Joseph Yobo and Yakubu Ayegbeni, acknowledges the challenge of managing such absences.

In a pre-game press conference ahead of West Ham's London derby against Tottenham Hotspurs at the Tottenham Stadium on Thursday, December 7, at 20:15 GMT, Moyes remarked, “We’ve got Mo Kudus, and we’ve also got Saïd Benrahma from Algeria and Nayef Aguerd from Morocco.

“The disappointing bit, and the thing we’ll need to manage, is losing those players for a month during the African Cup of Nations. But that’s part of it.”