ARSENAL manager, Arsène Wenger breathed a sigh of relief yesterday when he learnt that his leading goalscorer in the Premier League, Emmanuel Adebayor, would not be lost to his team for up to five weeks in the new year.

Adebayor’s Togo failed to qualify for the 2008 African Cup of Nations after losing 2-0 at home to Mali late on Friday in the last match of their qualifying group. Togo finished below Mali and surprise finalists Benin in the placings for the tournament in Ghana between January 20 and February 20 next year.

The result could also have implications for Liverpool, who may lose midfielder Mohamed Sissoko for as long as Mali remain in contention for Africa’s most prized continental title.

Two of Spanish football’s major domestic contenders will now suffer: Sevilla’s leading goalscorer, Frederic Kanoute, who scored Mali’s opening goal, and his club colleague, Seydou Keita, will now be away, while Real Madrid will miss Mali midfield player Mahamadou Diarra.

The event will have a debilitating effect on most of Europe’s major leagues, with the Premier League losing some of its leading lights for several weeks.

The top two goalscorers from last season’s Premier League, the Ivorian Didier Drogba and the South African Benni McCarthy, of Blackburn Rovers, have seen their countries qualify. Chelsea could lose, to the Ivory Coast, Salomon Kalou as well. The Ivorian “Elephants” also claim Arsenal’s Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Eboue.

Chelsea will probably be without Ghana’s Michael Essien and Nigeria’s John Obi Mikel. Portsmouth may be hit as heavily as anybody, with call-ups for Papa Bouba Diop (Senegal), John Utaka and Kanu (Nigeria) and Ali Sulley Muntari (Ghana). Thankfully for Harry Redknapp’s squad, Benjani Mwaruwari’s team, Zimbabwe, failed to qualify.