West Ham’s boss, David Moyes, was left seething after his team missed out on Mo Kudus and Nayef Aguerd in a goalless standoff against Brighton. The duo, gearing up for the Africa Cup of Nations, couldn’t feature for the Hammers due to FIFA regulations.

The frustration stemmed from FIFA’s ruling that January 1st was the deadline for players participating in the tournament to represent their clubs. This restriction singled out the clash between Brighton and West Ham as the sole game in the recent Premier League fixture where the 43 players bound for the Ivory Coast were barred from playing.

Adding salt to the wound, Liverpool enjoyed Mohamed Salah’s brace in their triumph over Newcastle, the Egyptian’s final outing before joining the African tournament. Moyes lashed out at the unequal treatment, questioning why West Ham couldn’t benefit from their African talents while others could.

“Why couldn’t we have our African players available like everyone else?” Moyes questioned. “It feels unfair that we’re disadvantaged by some of our players not being able to play. We could have played on the first so our African players would be allowed to play as well.”

Despite this setback, Moyes acknowledged West Ham’s strong holiday performance, securing wins against Arsenal and Manchester United. However, their weariness showed against Brighton, with Moyes urging for better performances ahead.

Meanwhile, Salah, pleased to end his first-half season on a high note, expressed his commitment to Egypt’s cause. Despite missing a penalty, he highlighted the importance of representing his national team and aimed for success in the upcoming tournament.