Final outing for Abde and Bakambu with Betis before the Africa Cup | OneFootball

Real Betis Balompié faces an important challenge tonight against Dinamo Zagreb, but the spotlight is also on two imminent absences.

Forwards Ez Abde and Cédric Bakambu will play their last match in the green-and-white shirt today before leaving to join their respective national teams ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

This situation, although expected, poses a challenge for Betis coach Manuel Pellegrini. In the pre-match press conference in Zagreb, the Chilean manager confirmed the departure of both players: "It’s the last match for Abde and Bakambu. For different reasons, we couldn’t manage [to keep them]. It’s hard to give opinions on matters you don’t control. We have a squad, those who are available will play."

The Africa Cup of Nations will leave Betis without two key attacking players. Abde, called up by Morocco, and Bakambu, who will represent the Democratic Republic of the Congo, will be notable absences for several weeks, impacting both LaLiga and the Copa del Rey, depending on how far their teams progress in the continental tournament.

Betis has tried to retain some of its African internationals, as Pellegrini mentioned, but ultimately the regulations and the commitments of the national teams have prevailed.

This double absence forces the 'Engineer' to restructure his attacking options, placing his trust in the rest of the available players in the squad.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.

📸 Fran Santiago - 2025 Getty Images