Overview
- Palestine stunned host Qatar 1-0 with a stoppage-time own goal to claim its first Arab Cup win since 1966 as the group stage began on December 1.
- Cameroon’s federation dismissed coach Marc Brys and installed David Pagou, who named a 28-man CAN squad omitting André Onana, Vincent Aboubakar and Éric-Maxim Choupo-Moting.
- Reports indicate FIFA has allowed Premier League clubs to keep African players until December 15, with Liverpool expecting to use Mohamed Salah until then and Manchester City seeking a late release for Omar Marmoush.
- The FIFA-backed Arab Cup runs to December 18 at Lusail Stadium and falls outside official release windows, leading many stars to skip the tournament as Algeria defends its 2021 title with a locally based, youth-leaning core including Youcef Atal, Yacine Brahimi, Islam Slimani and Adam Ounas.
- CAN squads continue to be finalized, with Egypt naming 28 players including Salah and Marmoush, and DR Congo selecting 26 featuring Chancel Mbemba while Yoane Wissa remains out injured.