Angola Coach Beaumelle Slams AFCON Player Release Schedule: "This is truly a kind of stupidity... They use the continent when they need it for elections or other matters, but they don't respect the Africa Cup of Nations."

Frenchman Patrice Beaumelle, coach of the Angola national team, expressed his strong anger over circulating news that clubs might be allowed to keep their players until December 15, directly threatening national teams' preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations.

Beaumelle told RMC: "We are almost in the same situation as you. What is sad and exhausting is that since we finished the last FIFA date, we have been completing the final stage of preparing for the AFCON camp, and we are communicating a little with all federations about organizing friendly matches and so on."

"All coaches had the same idea, which was to start the camp between December 8, 10, or 11, depending on the group matches. We play on the 22nd of the same month, and we wanted to start the camp on the 8th in southern Portugal," the Angola coach continued. "For a month and a half, I've been traveling to the site, we prepared everything, worked on the content of the training sessions, and the venues for friendly matches. We all prepared in advance."

Beaumelle added: "Until yesterday, we thought we would start on the 8th, and in the evening, we read this information. This jeopardizes the preparation camps. Flight tickets have been booked, camp locations, hotels, stadiums, buses – everything was arranged in advance, and some countries even processed visas to prepare in Europe."

He continued: "We are now jeopardizing all the organization. If players are released on the 14th, they will arrive starting from the 15th, and we must be in Morocco on the 18th to play on the 22nd. So, we cannot talk about a training camp. I had already arranged two friendly matches for the 13th and 16th."

He further stated: "This is truly a lack of respect towards this wonderful football continent, Africa. All clubs are interested in signing African players. But we must know that when players come, it's because they have performed well in the Africa Cup of Nations or CHAN. It is a continent of football. The AFCON is a fantastic competition that the whole world will follow, and we are not doing this continent a service. How do you expect us to prepare properly? I am talking about adaptation, about preparation. I just want the clubs to respect that."

He continued: "If we had known this two or three months ago, we would have done things differently. We plan everything according to FIFA, and today, a week before the start of the camp, we learn that clubs can release players on December 14. I submitted a list of 55 players, and my management contacted each player to find out when they would be released to ensure their availability on the 8th or 9th. They had all agreed."

Beaumelle concluded: "When an international player from another continent is signed, the continent must be respected. My outcry is directed at FIFA. When they need the continent for elections or other matters, they use it, but they don't respect the AFCON. Clubs pay players' salaries, so I can understand them applying the rule. If the rule were clear, we would respect it. But now, if FIFA accepts the change, clubs will apply it, and that is the damage. It should have been clear."

Concluding his remarks, Beaumelle affirmed that the situation is unreasonable: "We all called each other late last night and saw this online. This morning (Tuesday), I spoke with my federation, and they told me they had not received any circular or official document. We only saw it. At the moment I am speaking to you, we have not received anything official from FIFA. This is truly a kind of stupidity."

He continued: "Releasing a player on the 15th to go play in an AFCON that starts on the 21st... How can these players work? One, two, or three training sessions? This is not possible. We are talking about the Africa Cup of Nations; this is not an ordinary event. I watch all the leagues in the world, and there are African players in every team; this continent must be respected."