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2024-01-13 09:25:01Written by ALEX MREMA @npub1w4zrulscqraej2570gkazt0e7j0q3xq4437hnxjqfvcs59hq86fs9vnn4x
From the 13th of January 2024 the football world’s eyes will all converge on the Ivory Coast as 24 of Africa’s best football nations look to take each other on for the title of Africa’s best come 11th February. Though there is only going to be one winner, that doesn’t mean we aren’t promised exceptional football, shocks and players showcasing their razzle dazzle throughout the next 29 days. This article will focus on the players from each of the 24 competing nations who don’t get the spotlight they deserve but are certain to cause trouble.
IVORY COAST Name: Simon Adingra Age: 21 Club: Brighton and Hove Albion(England) Position: Winger The bright orange Ivorian jerseys are not the only thing that will catch your eye from this squad as the youthful, electrifying and pacey Brighton winger Simon Adingra is certainly bound to catch the interest of some during the tournament. His eye for goal and his turbo speed is bound to give trouble to any defender.
EQUATORIAL GUINEA Name: Saúl Coco Age: 24 Club: UD Las Palmas(Spain) Position: Center-Back Equatorial Guinea are not newcomers to the competition and are not going to be a pushover in a group that contains hosts Ivory Coast and the star-studded Nigeria. A player one must recognize from the Central African country is none other than Saul Coco. 6-foot-2 and a menace at the back, he will catch the eye of many particularly in his match up with the towering Bissau-Guinean players and of course Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen.
GUINEA-BISSAU Name: Fali Candé Age: 24 Club: FC Metz(France) Position: Centre-Back Like Equatorial Guinea, Guinea- Bissau come to the tournament with a familiar idea of what is expected. This is a nation known for putting up a challenge no matter what and are able to even pull a shock or two. If they are going to attract any wins in the tournament they will need a solid defense in their attack-heavy group, luckily for Guinea Bissau, they have Fali Cande who is one of the rocks at the back that Africa should have an eye on as he is aggressive and committed to keeping a clean sheet.
NIGERIA Name: Moses Simon Age: 28 Club: FC Nantes(France) Position: Winger Nigeria come in as one of the favourites to win it all and with a squad that has the African player of the year (Victor Osimhen) it’s hard to disagree that they are capable of delivering the cup back to Nigeria for the first time since 2013. A player that is sure to electrify the tournament is FC Nantes winger Moses Simon who shone in the last edition but had his time cut short after the Super Eagles shock defeat to Tunisia in the Round of 16. Now with their other attacking star (Victor Boniface) officially out of the tournament, will the Simon-Osimhen-Boniface attacking duo bear fruit for Nigeria?
CAPE VERDE Name: Jamiro Monteiro Age: 30 Club: San Jose Earthquakes(USA) Position: Center Midfield A man of experience and flair, Jamiro Monteiro is going to be a man lighting up the highlight reels throughout his time in the Ivory Coast. With a flair like Alex de Souza and an awareness equal to that of David Silva, Monteiro instantly sets himself as a man to watch in Cape Verde’s conquest to spice up the tournament.
EGYPT
Name: Ahmed Fatouh
Age: 25
Club: Zamalek(Egypt)
Position: Left Back
Fatouh has been described as the “Egyptian Marcelo” for his ability to excel in the attacking third of the pitch despite being a left back. His skill and drive towards making an impact upfront shall not blindside viewers that he can also do it defensively. This man is pivotal for the Egyptians in their quest for glory.
GHANA Name: Salis Abdul Samed Age: 23 Club: RC Lens(France) Position: Central Defensive Midfielder Entering AFCON 2023, the Black Stars of Ghana are a nation booming with talent mixed with just the right amount of experience. Looking to put away the demons of their last AFCON appearance and deliver their first trophy since 1980, Ghana are likely to turn to their midfield to take them all the way. Yes, Mohammed Kudus is in that midfield but a player that goes unnoticed in that midfield is Salis Abdul Samed. He is magnificent at stealing the ball from opponents in a clean manner, further, he is able to put Ghana in promising positions when he moves the ball up. He truly is the new generation player that Ghana needed to make their midfield a threat to opponents.
MOZAMBIQUE Name: Geny Catamo Age: 22 Club: Sporting CP (Portugal) Position: Winger The scouts should keep an eye out for this young talent. He manages to wriggle through spaces with his dribbling and also leave defenders in the dust when going one on one with them. Catamo carries forward the game easily and with purpose and a lucid hunger. Head coach Chiquinho Conde should put his trust in this young man to make Mozambique a threat in the tournament.
CAMEROON
Name: François-Régis Mughe
Age: 19
Club: Olympique de Marseille(France)
Position: Winger
The youngest player on this list is a special prospect. His strength and pace is bound to make any defender have a difficult time when going up against him. He can create something out of nothing when given playing time, Cameroon coach Rigobert Song should make him have a taste of the competition and he will be wowed by the talent he has in his hands.
THE GAMBIA
Name: Ablie Jallow
Age: 25
Club: FC Metz(France)
Position: Winger
Classy, calm and collected. These are the three words that can best be used to describe Gambia’s top scorer during qualifiers. He carries an aura that is simply impossible to ignore and he comes at defenders like a high speed train. He will look to be the main influence in The Gambia’s drive towards making another quarter final run like in the last edition of the tournament. Oh, don’t give him time and space to shoot because he will punish the keeper.
GUINEA Name: Amadou Diawara Age: 26 Club: RSC Anderlecht(Belgium) Position: Defensive Midfielder Composure must be this man's middle name. Once he has the ball it is not getting lost with him, he keeps the ball until he releases a pass -which on occasion are mighty sensational- despite being a defensive midfielder,he is capable of bringing up the ball to threatening positions; when Guinea are in trouble at the back he is there to clean up the mess. He is the real deal. He is Amadou Diawara.
SENEGAL Name: Ismail Jakobs Age: 26 Club: AS Monaco(France) Position: Left Back Senegal will look to make it to their third final in as many tournaments and at the same time retain their crown. A new feature to the Lions of Teranga side is left back Ismail Jakobs who is very quick and tends to join the attack. He does have a left foot capable of finding the back of the net but it’s his defensive recovery and ethic that magnifies him above some of the other modern day defenders. He is one the Senegal camp must protect from any injuries or suspensions as he is key for their progression in the Ivory Coast.
ALGERIA Name: Ramiz Zerrouki Age: 25 Club: Feyenoord(Netherlands) Position: Defensive Midfielder Africa should be proud to have this man playing in the upcoming AFCON tournament as he is the epitome of athleticism and command on the pitch. Based in the Netherlands, Zerrouki will stop at nothing to get the ball back on his feet and once he has the ball he is at peace again and can run the Algerian midfield operations with ease. He will look to make the Algerian midfield gel and spearhead The Desert Foxes into the knockout rounds after a disappointing run in the 2021 edition of the tournament.
ANGOLA Name: Gelson Dala Age: 27 Club: Al Wakrah(Qatar) Position: Center Forward This man ended qualifiers as Angola’s top scorer and is an electrifying center forward. He hustles for the ball every time one of his wingers has the ball on their feet or alternatively when the ball is in the box he will make use of it no matter what. He is Angola’s main man and should be on every manager’s list of the most dangerous players in the tournament.
BURKINA FASO Name: Stephane Aziz Ki Age: 27 Club: Young Africans(Tanzania) Position: Attacking Midfielder The Stallions are a nation capable of causing havoc in Ivory Coast with the snap of a finger, they have an impressive defensive foundation and contain plenty of attacking threats. A diamond within this attack is none other than Young Africans midfielder; Aziz Ki. He is strong on the ball, influential on the pitch and when given time and space to unleash a shot,he will make the opposing team pay. He hopes to get some playing time while at Ivory Coast and light up the tournament for his country.
MAURITANIA ** Name: Khadim Diaw Age: 25 Club: Horoya(Guinea) Position:** Left Back Khadim Diaw is more than your typical left back that is able to do it all on defense, he is a joy for attackers to use for the link up play. He has an excellent passing ability that can pick out any of the Mauritanian strikers in the box. He is certainly bound to be on coach Amir Abdou’s starting eleven.
MALI Name: Kamory Doumbia Age: 20 Club: Stade Brestois 29(France Position: Attacking Midfielder Fresh off scoring four goals(yes you read that right) four goals against FC Lorient in France, it looks impossible for young starlet Kamory Doumbia to not feature in the tournament. He is pacey, attentive and has an eye for goal which only adds to Mali’s firepower. Many should watch out for this Mali squad as they might go all the way due to their attacking firepower.
NAMIBIA Name: Peter Shalulile Age: 30 Club: Mamelodi Sundowns(South Africa) Position: Centre Forward One of Africa’s most dangerous strikers in recent years is Namibia’s very own.Shalulile stands at only five-foot-seven but he can leave a defense in shambles in little to no time as he is best friends with the net. He carries a variety of methods to make the net rifle and has done so a staggering 110 times in the Premier Soccer League in South Africa. Watch out for this man Africa.
SOUTH AFRICA Name: Teboho Mokoena Age: 26 Club: Mamelodi Sundowns(South Africa) Position: Center Midfielder A long-range specialist and a maestro in the midfield, Teboho Mokoena can impact the state of a game at any point he decides to do so. He has the game at the palm of his hands at all times and dictates it with his calm demeanour. In the dying seconds of the match, every opponent should make sure the ball doesn’t find him because if it does, it will probably be in the back of the net within the blink of an eye.
TUNISIA Name: Elias Achouri Age: 24 Club: FC Kobenhavn(Denmark) Position: Winger A confident winger who is capable of taking two to three defenders with him and will still come out of that situation with the ball still on his feet. Taking into account that he is 24, it appears to be the perfect time for Achouri to make a name for himself and the Eagles of Carthage in the Ivory Coast.
DR CONGO Name: Fiston Kalala Mayele Age: 29 Club: Pyramids FC(Egypt) Position: Center Forward The DR Congo attack line is heavily loaded with players hungry to make a name for themselves. One of them is Fiston Mayele who is based in Egypt. He spells trouble for defenders as he charges at them with nothing else in his mind but hitting the back of the net, he tends to catch others out with his ability to head the ball in a way that troubles the keeper greatly. If he manages to link correctly with the other strikers that Les Leopards have in their squad, then they will certainly be a team to watch in the tournament.
MOROCCO Name: Ismael Saibari Age: 22 Club: PSV Eindhoven(Netherlands) Position: Central Midfielder Part of the undefeated PSV squad that is yet to drop a point, Ismael Saibari has made his name known on the squad. His flair carries him through as a standout amongst the crowd. In this Moroccan team that is looking to build off their historic World Cup run, head coach Walid Regragui’s decision to grant this young prospect some time in the tournament is simply genius.
ZAMBIA Name: Clatous Chama Age: 32 Club: Simba Sports Club(Tanzania) Position: Central Midfielder The Chipolopolo look to run back their miracle of 2012 in this edition of the competition and will mostly play through their midfield. One of their key midfielders is Clatous Chama who is nicknamed “Mwamba wa Lusaka” which is Swahili for Rock of Lusaka. He is a machine in the frontline for his club and carries a great work ethic towards creating goals every time he plays. Beyond his goal scoring ability, Chama is very technically gifted and makes every situation count when he has the ball. Zambia are blessed to have him on their side.
TANZANIA Name: Tarryn Allarakhia Age: 26 Club: Wealdstone(England) Position: Central Midfielder The Taifa Stars look to shock the African continent in their AFCON 2023 campaign after disappointing campaigns in 1980 and 2019. Tanzania aims to use their hidden gem of a midfielder to the best of his ability to work on progressing the ball up the pitch. Though the Tanzanian stands at five-foot-seven, he is capable of keeping his balance every time he makes a darting run and more importantly,he is able to progress the ball up the field and win fouls in promising positions.In addition, he has sensational flair in his arsenal plus a great shot power and accuracy to his name. Keep your eyes out for this gem Africa!