The 34th edition of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) kicks off in Ivory Coast when the hosts face Guinea-Bissau on January 13 at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan.
Senegal are the defending champions as they beat Egypt on penalties at the last edition in Cameroon.
Sporting Tribune presents a Top 10 list of players to watch.
1. Victor Osimhen (Nigeria, 25)
It is hard not to include the Best African Player of the Year in this thread. Victor Osimhen, fresh from his recent accolade as the best African footballer, is celebrating his new status on the continental stage.
He has gained recognition for his goal-scoring prowess, athleticism, and versatility on the field, and is the figurehead of Nigeria’s rich attacking frontline.
Osimhen became the hottest property in world football last season when he finished as the leading scorer in Serie A, helping Napoli to their first league title since 1990.
The 25-year-old already has 20 goals in 27 appearances. There is no shortage of riches for Nigeria in their attacking options, but the 2023 African Player of the Year will undoubtedly carry the goalscoring for the Super Eagles.
2. Sadio Mané (Senegal, 31)
Best player of the previous edition, the Lions of Teranga star player will once again be the man to watch when he captains his side in their title defence this year. After leaving Europe for Saudi Arabia last summer, Sadio Mané has lost none of his sharpness. He remains the guiding light and leader of a Senegalese team whose ambition is to achieve the double.
His loss to the Senegal team at the Qatar 2022 World Cup cannot be overstated. As reigning AFCON champions, the Lions of Teranga were thought to be the African team that could break through to the semifinal stage in the global event for the first time.
Without Mane, the Lions lost their bite and could not repeat their previous best of a quarterfinal appearance as they were well beaten in the group by the Netherlands and in the round of 16 by England.
3. Mohamed Salah (Egypt, 31)
As he has done for the last 3 finals, Mohamed Salah will once again be one of the attractions on the banks of the Ebrié Lagoon. A Liverpool star (top 5 scorer in the club’s history) with a string of goals every weekend, the Pharaoh remains the leader of his national team. Under his leadership, Egypt made it through the qualifiers unscathed.
If Egypt are to add to their record seven continental titles, then Mohamed Salah will have to bear the brunt of the work for the Pharaohs. Egypt has not won an AFCON title since 2010, and Salah has been left on the losing side in the final in both 2017 and 2021.
Salah now has the opportunity to add to the 53 goals he has already netted, in only 93 appearances.
4. Mohammed Kudus (Ghana, 23)
A livewire for West Ham United in England’s Premier League, Mohammed Kudus has set one of the best leagues in the world alight with his explosive speed, skill and goalscoring prowess.
The 23-year-old, who has scored 10 goals in 24 matches in all competitions for the Hammers, first caught the attention of European clubs when Danish side FC Nordsjaelland brought him from Ghana at the age of 17 – a relative latecomer in the modern football world.
His rise from there has known no bounds as, two years later, he was snapped up by Ajax where he impressed greatly in his three seasons in Amsterdam, as well as at the 2022 World Cup.
Ghana will relish the impact he could have in providing extra quality behind a forward line of the Ayew brothers and Inaki Williams.
5. Vincent Aboubakar (Cameroon, 31)
For several competitions now, he’s been carrying the Indomitable Lions. Vincent Aboubakar is Cameroon’s captain and trusted goalscorer. His mental strength and leadership will be key in guiding his teammates to a 6th star for Cameroon.
6. Sehrou Guirassy (Guinea, 27)
The centre-forward has been coming back to life in Germany this season. He’s racking up goal after goal and rivalling other top Bundesliga strikers. Guirassy is undoubtedly the striker who was missing from Syli de Guinée’s puzzle to excel in the TotalEnergies AFCON finals.
7. Sébastien Haller (Côte d’Ivoire, 30)
For his second TotalEnergies AFCON, he couldn’t have dreamt of anything better than playing it at home and in front of supporters that adopted him very quickly from his first steps with the Elephants. At 29, Sébastien Haller has reached maturity and intends to make a big impact at Africa’s biggest football spectacle in front of his fans.
8. Riyad Mahrez (Algeria, 32)
Mahrez captained Algeria to victory in the 2019 final against Senegal but a repeat in Ivory Coast does not appear on the cards. The winger was a magician in the Premier League winning the title with both Leicester City and Manchester City.
It was with the former where a tightly knit group of players, sprinkled with some star-studded magic, defied all the odds imaginable to secure their first English top-flight crown. They had only ever been runners-up previously and that was in 1928-29. The 32-year-old, now with Al Ahli in the Saudi Pro League, has an impressive 30 goals in 89 appearances for Algeria.
9. Youssef En-Nesyri (Morocco, 26)
On a far different note to that of Salah, Mane and Osimhen, Youssef En-Nesyri’s performance in front of goal is likely to hold the key to Morocco’s ambitions. The historic achievement of reaching the World Cup semifinal in Qatar left their manager Walid Regragui with a clear mission ahead: to win the 2023 AFCON. To do so, Morocco needs to find goals.
Their defence is their rock and is securely guarded by Sofyan Amrabat, but their attack needs to find the net more regularly and criticism has been planted at the feet of En-Nesyri. The 26-year-old’s return of 17 goals in 61 matches is not exactly an embarrassment at the international level and Regragui has highlighted the Seville striker’s work rate for the team as a key element of their success.
10. Peter Shalulile (Namibia, 30)
Peter Shalulile is at the prime of his career with South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns. Fresh from lifting the inaugural African Football League and currently a key member of the team’s chase for a second TotalEnergies CAF Champions League gold medal, Shalulile will be key for the Brave Warriors of Namibia in Cote d’Ivoire.
YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM SPORTING TRIBUNE
National Para Games will unearth new talents for future — Sports minister
Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh, said the second edition of the National Para Games holds immense potential for discovering and unearthing new talents that will represent Nigeria in para sports games in the future..…..
Sports minister meets NFF, Peseiro over AFCON plans
The Honourable Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh, has convened a high-level meeting with the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and Coach of the Super Eagles, Jose Peseiro to deliberate on strategic plans and preparations for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON)..….
Home draw with Katsina United temporary setback — Ogunbote
The Head Coach of Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC), Gbenga Ogunbote on Sunday said their 1-1 draw with Katsina United FC was just a temporary setback for them. Ogunbote spoke during the post-match news conference of the 2023/2024 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) match day 13 fixture in Ibadan…..
The 5 Most Thrilling Premier League Finals That Shaped Football History
There’s no doubt that the Premier League is one of the most competitive football leagues in the world, filled with extraordinary talent, tactical brilliance, and captivating storylines. However, few things rival the exhilaration of a title race that comes down to the wire…..
African U-17 Volleyball: Egypt beat Nigeria 3-1 to lift trophy
The Egypt U-17 female volleyball team defeated their hosts Nigeria, 3-1 in the final match to lift the trophy of the 2023 Girl’s U-17 African Nations Volleyball championship. The match was played at the package of the Moshood Abiola Stadium on Thursday in Abuja.….
Foreign scouts for SPOCS International Football Tournament — Opanuga
Nationwide Division One League One (NLO) side SGFC Athletics Sports Club will take part in what seems to be one of the biggest scouting tourneys in the country, SPOCS Scouting Championship….