AFCON is a tournament known for its passionate fans, fierce rivalries, and its abundance of talented footballers. With the 2023 edition set to get underway this evening, here’s a look at some of the top stars who have the potential to light up the competition.
Africa’s prestigious football tournament to be held in West Africa, Ivory Coast, will begin with the host nation taking on Guinea Bissau at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Abidjan. Kick-off is 10PM [SA time]
24 ambitious nations will battle it out for the top prize, eyeing nothing other than the golden trophy.
TOP STARS TO WATCH OUT FOR AT AFCON
MOHAMED SALAH
Liverpool FC talisman Mohamed Salah will be a player to watch out for following his consistent performances for the English Premier League club and Egypt year after year. This season, the 31-year-old has scored 14 goals and provided eight assists in 20 league matches.
The Pharaohs’ skipper didn’t disappoint in the AFCON qualifiers campaign, as he scored two goals and provided three assists in four matches.
RIYAD MAHREZ
Al-Ahli Saudi winger Riyad Mahrez will be the main man for Algeria in the 2023 finals in Ivory Coast. Mahrez has been displaying consistent performances for the club and the national team each time he’s on the field of play.
The 32-year-old has captained the Desert Warriors on a few occasions, leading in attack. Heading into the 2023 finals, he made an average impact, scoring only one goal and providing two assists.
PERCY TAU
Bafana Bafana star Percy Tau will be aiming to translate his club form to the AFCON stage for SA. The Al-Ahly attacker has scored four goals in five league matches so far this season.
The 29-year-old forward is expected to bring experience and flair to the national team’s attack. The former Brighton and Hove Albion star didn’t have a great campaign in the AFCON qualifiers. He only provided two assists in four matches.
SADIO MANE
The Lions of Teranga will be aiming to make it back-to-back AFCON wins when they go out to defend their title in Ivory Coast. Attacker Sadio Mane is expected to be leading the team’s attacking force.
The Al-Nassr star played a big part as they booked their spot in the 2023 finals. The 31-year-old was on his top form, finding the back of the net five times and providing one assist in five matches.
MOHAMMED KUDUS
West Ham United’s Mohammed Kudus is expected to play a key role for Ghana after good performances for the club following six goals and one assist in 16 matches.
The 24-year-old played a pivotal role for the Black Stars in their AFCON qualifiers campaign. The versatile attacker was directly involved in four goals after finding the back of the net three times and turned provider once.
YOUSSEF EN-NESYRI
The 2022 FIFA World Cup semi-finalists Morocco will bank on the services of Sevilla FC forward Youssef En-Nesyri to conquer the continent. The Atlas Lions last won the AFCON in 1976.
The goal poacher will be aiming to bring his club-scoring boots to AFCON after scoring five goals and providing an assist in 17 matches. On the road to the continental football finals, the 26-year-old hit the net twice in four matches.
SEBASTIEN HALLER
Ivory Coast star Haller will be playing in his second AFCON finals after his debut appearance in the 2021 edition in Cameroon. He is expected to be leading the attacking force like he’s been doing in the AFCON qualifiers and 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, respectively.
The 29-year-old striker was not in his best form in the AFCON qualifiers. He scored a goal and provided an assist in four matches.
VICTOR OSIMHEN
The reigning 2023 African Footballer of the Year, Victor Osimhen, will be the hope for the Super Eagles of Nigeria to win the AFCON.
The 25-year-old had a great campaign in the AFCON qualifiers, causing all sorts of problems for the goalkeepers and defenders. All-in-all, the Napoli talisman was involved in 11 goals after scoring 10 and provided an assist.
OPA SANGANTE
The centre-back is expected to be leading from the back to ensure that Guinea-Bissau are solid and don’t concede silly goals at the back. The 32-year-old played a huge role for the national team to seal their qualification to the AFCON finals.
The USL Dunkerque defender featured in all six qualification matches. His consistent and solid performances at the back helped the team to keep two clean sheets.
EMILIO NSUE
The Equatorial Guinea captain, Nsue, will be aiming to keep up with his great performances for the national team. The fullback has been scoring goals for fun lately, finding the back of the net in all his last four appearances for the national team.
The 34-year-old boasts 39 caps and has 17 goals and one assist to his name after his debut in 2020.
ELIAS PELEMBE
The 40-year-old will be captaining the Mambas in the 2023 AFCON in Ivory Coast. Apart from being creative in the attack, the attacking midfielder also brings a lot of experience to Mozambique, especially to youngsters and newcomers.
The former Mamelodi Sundowns star featured in all six matches of the AFCON qualifiers. He helped the team by providing two assists.
BEBE
Cape Verde’s hopes hinge on the seasoned presence of former Manchester United striker Bebe at AFCON. The 33-year-old, who traded Portuguese colours for his ancestral Cape Verde in 2022, brings a wealth of experience to the young Blue Sharks squad.
The Rayo Vallecano striker has found the back of the net once as the team sealed their ticket to the AFCON to make their fourth appearance.
PETER SHALULILE
The Mamelodi Sundowns star Peter Shalulile will be leading the attack for The Brave Warriors at AFCON. The 30-year-old has been a standout performer for both club and country each time he’s fit to play.
In the 2023 AFCON qualifiers, Shalulile showed his class to ensure that Namibia secured their fourth qualification. The skipper netted five goals in six matches.
ABLIE JALLOW
Jallow will be aiming to boss the midfield in Group C when Gambia take on Senegal, Cameroon and Guinea. The 25-year-old had a great campaign in Ligue 1, therefore he will be aiming to bring that form to the international level.
The FC Mets midfield engine played all six qualifiers, operating in different roles, sometimes as a winger or attacking midfielder. He helped the team by netting two goals.
SERHOU GUIRASSY
This will be Guirassy’s first AFCON after switching nationalities from France in 2022. Currently, he’s enjoying his football in the Bundesliga with Stuttgart FC after finding the back net 17 times in 14 matches so far. The Guinean star will be hoping to bring club form when representing his country.
For the national team, the 27-year-old is yet to show his talent after only scoring just once in his last four appearances.
MANUEL LUIS CAFUMANA
Angola will be boosted with the presence of defensive midfielder Manuel Luis Cafumana, also known as ‘Show’. The Maccabi Haifa midfield engine has been key for the national team after making his debut in 2018 at the age of 18.
Show is known for his passing ability and high work rate on the field of play. In the AFCON qualifiers, he only missed one match due to an injury setback. In the matches he was involved in, the team won two, drew two and lost one.
EDMOND TAPSOBA
In the 2021 edition hosted by Cameroon, Tapsoba was part of the Burkina Faso team that reached the semi-finals. This season, the defender has been a consistent performer for Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga.
On the road to the AFCON finals, the 24-year-old was leading from the back. Tapsoba featured in five matches and was rested against Eswatini as they had already booked their ticket to Ivory Coast. He helped the team to keep two clean sheets.
YVES BISSOUMA
The Tottenham Hotspur star will be one of the stars expected to shine for the Mali national team. The midfield maestro is a key player for both club and country, always displaying great performances on the field.
In the AFCON qualifiers, the 27-year-old played the first two matches and missed the following three due to an ankle injury. After recovering, he featured in the last qualifier match against Southern Sudan. He helped the team by providing three assists.
ELLYES SKHIRI
Skhiri boasts 61 caps with Tunisia and has been a key player in the midfield since he made his debut in 2018. Previously, the 28-year-old had represented the national team at the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups and at the 2019 and 2021 AFCON finals.
The Eintracht Frankfurt player will be aiming to make an impact at AFCON, as he didn’t contribute much in the qualifiers. He only made three appearances, this was due to injuries and he provided an assist.
CHANCEL MBEMBA
The Olympique Marseille centre-back will be a DR Congo player to watch out for; he’s expected to be leading from the back. Mbemba has been in great form in Ligue 1; therefore, he will be aiming to continue with that at AFCON.
The 29-year-old captain played a huge role, helping DR Congo to seal qualification despite missing the first two matches due to an injury. In the games he played, Congo grabbed two wins and two draws with Mbemba helping them keep two clean-sheets.
ALLY SAMATTA
The Tanzanian star who is likely to impress at the AFCON is captain Ally Samatta and will be leading the attacking line. The experienced 31-year-old boasts 62 caps. He has scored 16 goals and provided five assists for the national team.
The PAOK Salonika striker didn’t make an impression for his nation as they secured AFCON qualification in Ivory Coast. He made five appearances and failed to find the back of the net.
PASTON DAKA
The Leicester City FC star Paston Daka will be carrying the nation’s hopes to clinch their second AFCON title. Zambia defied all odds as they won the 2012 edition. The competition was co-hosted by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.
The 25-year-old has been in fine form at both club level and with the Chipolopolo. Daka played a huge role in ensuring that Zambia will participate in Ivory Coast. The attacker played all six matches in the qualifiers and netted five goals.
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