Ajax boarded the plane this morning to a training camp in Portugal. AZ will do that this afternoon. The Alkmaarders go to Spain.
Mohammed Kudus is also part of the group that flies to Portugal. The midfielder is also part of the Ghana national squad that will play in this month’s Africa Cup, but it looks like he will not participate in that tournament.
Lisandro Martinez and Noussair Mazraoui are also going to Portugal with Ajax. Both players are struggling with injuries and it remains to be seen whether they will be fit again for the resumption of the competition on January 16.
AZ will go to Valencia from 3 to 8 January. On Friday, January 7, Pascal Jansen’s team will practice against the Belgian AA Gent. AZ will resume the competition on Sunday 16 January with an away match against Fortuna Sittard.
On Sunday at 14:30 Ajax will play a practice match against Hajduk Split.
Africa Cup
AZ striker Zakaria Aboukhlal is participating with Morocco in the Africa Cup and is therefore not present for the Alkmaarders for the time being. At Ajax, goalkeeper André Onana and striker Sébastien Haller of the tournament are not available for the time being. Onana is in the selection of Cameroon and Haller strikes in that of the Ivory Coast.
The Africa Cup will be held in Cameroon from January 9 to February 6.