Evann Guessand, Aston Villa’s newest first team signing, could miss as many as seven matches if selected to represent Ivory Coast at the Africa Cup of Nations.
AFCON 2025 takes place in December and January, crucial months in the Premier League campaign for his new club as they target a return to the top four and a spot in the Champions League.
The former Nice striker has played ten times for the Ivory Coast after making his senior debut as recently as 2024 and is likely to feature in the squad for the tournament in Morocco.
The exact number of games Guessand is likely to miss depends on Ivory Coast’s progress through the tournament but AFCON coincides with some tricky fixtures for Unai Emery’s men.
Guessand is likely to miss Villa’s visit to Chelsea on 27th December, followed by the away game against Arsenal three days later. If Ivory Coast advance from the group stage, Guessand would miss the home fixture against Nottingham Forest on 3rd January, and further progress would mean he’d be absent against Crystal Palace and again for the FA Cup Third Round.
If Guessand and Ivory Coast reach the semi-finals, Villa will be without their new man for the visit of Everton on Saturday 17th January.
This year’s Africa Cup of Nations will be Guessand’s first major tournament. He was called up for the preliminary squad for Ivory Coast for AFCON 2023 but ultimately did not make the cut.
The Elephants will expect to go all the way as they look to defend their AFCON title. Guessand is likely to be part of the squad but could be further down the pecking order than more senior strikers like Sébastien Haller and Jeremie Boga, his former Nice teammate.
Guessand was born in Ajaccio, Corsica, and played for France at various age levels before committing to Ivory Coast as a senior international.
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