11 players set to star at AFCON 2021

The Africa Cup of Nations is finally set to get underway on Sunday, six months after the tournament was postponed due to the effects of the pandemic.

It will bring together teams, coaches and players who would otherwise operate in completely different universes, with the likes of Madagascar, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia and Malawi hoping to pit their wits against the world class talents of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane among others.

But who are the stars set to shine brightest in this year’s competition, held in Cameroon?

Here, 101 Great Goals takes a look at some of the biggest names and how they could form a pretty decent XI…

Goalkeeper: Édouard Mendy – Senegal & Chelsea

It’s fair to say Édouard Mendy has enjoyed an astronomical rise in the last 18 months or so.

During the last Africa Cup of Nations, in July 2019, his nation Senegal got all the way to the final, their first for 17 years.

However, at the time, Mendy had earned just five caps and with Alfred Gomis, then of SPAL, the main starting goalkeeper.

Since, he’s left Stade Rennais for Chelsea and won the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Super Cup with the London club, claiming the Goalkeeper of the Season award in the process after keeping a record nine clean sheets.

Now firmly first choice for his country, Mendy will be hoping to lead Senegal to their first AFCON title – they currently own the dubious record as the only country to appear in multiple finals without ever winning one, but are 4/1 favourites to lift the title on February 6.

There are other top-class goalkeepers in Africa, André Onana of Cameroon and Morocco’s Yassine Bounou to name but two.

But, the Chelsea shot-stopper just about edges it right now.

Right-back: Achraf Hakimi – Morocco & Paris Saint-Germain

It’s fair to say Achraf Hakimi already has an impressive CV.

At the age of 23, he’s already played for Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain.

Following trophy-laden spells with each of his previous clubs, he earned a big move to Paris last summer to take his overall transfer fees up to a huge €115 million, and will hope to translate that club form into international honours with Morocco, for whom he has already amassed 41 caps, scoring five times.

Hakimi started all three of the Atlas Lions’ matches at World Cup 2018 as they exited at the group stage but they will be hoping they can rely on his significant attacking output taking them deep into the tournament, with 22 goals and 31 assists to his name in recent seasons.

There is no doubt he’s one of the world’s outstanding full-backs so is certainly one of the best players at AFCON 2021.

Centre-back: Kalidou Koulibaly – Senegal & Napoli

Can a player be highly-rated whilst simultaneously underrated?

Well, Kalidou Koulibaly fits into this bracket.

Everyone knows he is good but because he plays for Napoli, not a traditional super club, his talents are still under-appreciated.

Since joining I Partenopei from Genk in 2014, Koulibaly has constantly been linked with a move away but one has never materialised despite playing a crucial role as the club picked up the Supercoppa Italiana and Coppa Italia in recent years and only narrowly missing out on the Scudetto in 2018 by four points.

For his country, Koulibaly has racked up 54 caps, starting all three games at World Cup 2018 and all six en route to the AFCON 2019 final, where he missed out due to yellow card accumulation and could only watch as his team lost 1-0.

Over 650 players will converge on Cameroon for this tournament but, after what happened at the last edition, none will be more determined to win it than Koulibaly.

Centre-back: Romain Saïss – Morocco & Wolves

The characteristics one wants in a centre-back; reliable, solid and always available.

Moroccan captain Romain Saïss certainly ticks all of these boxes.

Since joining Wolves from Angers in 2016, he’s made 194 appearances in gold, 98 of which have been in the Premier League and so far this season has been an ever-present, even scoring crucial goals in wins at Aston Villa and Brighton.

At international level, he’s now racked up 53 caps since making his debut in a friendly against Togo almost 10 years ago and was made captain ahead of the last tournament where Morocco crashed out to Benin on penalties in the round of 16.

Will Saïss be the captain lifting the trophy aloft at Olembe Stadium in Yaoundé come 6 February?

Left-back: Ramy Bensebaïni – Algeria & Borussia Mönchengladbach

Ramy Bensebaïni might be the player in this XI you’re least familiar with but he’s been operating at a high-level for a while now.

The Algerian joined Borussia Mönchengladbach from Stade Rennais in 2019, winning the Coupe de France in his final appearance for Rennes and since then has established himself as first-choice left-back at the German club, appearing 71 times for Gladbach.

Impressively, he’s scored 16 times and provided six assists in those games, doing so from a non-penalty xG figure of 9.1.

This certainly highlights how he is an attack-minded full-back.

For his country, Bensebaïni has 42 caps to his name, starting six of the seven matches, including all the knockout games, as they won AFCON 2019 and knocked in a penalty in the quarter-finals shootout victory over Côte d’Ivoire.

The 26 year old has missed five Bundesliga games this season due to a groin injury but should be fit and ready to go for this tournament and will be a major player as Algeria look to deliver on odds of 5/1 to win the tournament.

Defensive-midfielder: Ismaël Bennacer – Algeria & A.C. Milan

How can AFCON 2021 top AFCON 2019 if you’re Ismaël Bennacer?

His team Algeria won the whole competition, he started all seven games, racking up 627 minutes, and was awarded the player of the tournament for his efforts.

Unless he scores a stoppage time winner in the final, that’ll be hard to top.

After graduating through the Arsenal academy only for them to let him slip through their fingers, Bennacer has gone on to impress for Empoli and more recently AC Milan where he has established himself as a regular.

Statistically, Bennacer ranks very highly for passes, progressive passes, progressive carries, pressures, tackles and interceptions, highlighting his ability as an all-action defensive midfielder and what an asset he can be to any team he plays in.

Will Bennacer star again as Algeria look to become the first side in 11 years to retain the Africa Cup of Nations?

Defensive- midfielder: Franck Kessié – Ivory Coast & A.C. Milan

AC Milan are certainly feeling the affects of this tournament as Bennacer’s midfield partner, Franck Yannick Kessié, will also be looking to star.

Kessié, still only 25, is one of many players straight off the Atalanta conveyor-belt in recent seasons before establishing himself at the San Siro.

This robustness has also come in handing when it comes to national team duties with the Ivory Coast, for whom he competed in the Olympics last year only to miss out on a medal.

Since then, les Éléphants’ World Cup 2022 hopes have been ended too, going out in the second round of qualification to Cameroon.

Thus, Côte d’Ivoire will be doubly determined to restore some national pride at this tournament, with Patrick Beaumelle’s side 8/1 to be victorious.

There are some other outstanding midfielders in Africa, namely André-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Thomas Partey, Wilfred Ndidi, Idrissa Gana Gueye and Naby Keïta.

But, alongside his Milan partner in crime, Franck Yannick Kessié, just, gets into this team.

Forward: Sadio Mané – Senegal & Liverpool

Sadio Mané would improve any club or international team in world football and will be desperate to make his mark on this year’s tournament.

Since joining Liverpool, he’s won the Premier League, Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup, notching over 100 goals in all competitions despite a relatively low xG.

For Senegal, only four men have won more caps and he’s just 19 behind the record-holder Henri Camara who’s on 99.

Mané burst onto the Senegalese scene at the 2012 Olympics, starting all four games as they reached the quarter-finals, losing to Mexico at Wembley.

At senior level, he’s scored at the last two editions of AFCON and, in between, the 2018 World Cup, opening the scoring in a 2-2 draw with Japan in Yekaterinburg.

He was a key figure as they got all the way to the Africa Cup of Nations Final in 2019 before losing 1-0 to Algeria.

This time, the Lions of Téranga are aiming for their first AFCON title and, if they’re to achieve that, Mané is likely to play a staring role.

Forward: Mohamed Salah – Egypt & Liverpool

The best player in the world right now?

The numbers certainly suggest he is.

So far this season, Mohamed Salah has scored a staggering 23 goals in just 26 appearances for Liverpool, also proving nine assists and has firmly established himself as a legend of the club – quite some achievement considering their history.

But what about for his country?

Salah biggest moment for Egypt came in October 2017, converting a 95th minute penalty to beat Congo 2-1, thereby securing Egypt’s place at World Cup 2018 and thereby ending a 28-yea exile from the world’s biggest tournament.

However, Salah made very little impact in Russia, starting on the bench due to the shoulder injury he sustain in that year’s Champions League Final, scoring only against Saudi Arabia in a dead rubber.

He did a little better in the 2019 AFCON, scoring against DR Congo and Uganda, but nonetheless saw his side crash out in the round of 16 to South Africa.

With 45 goals in 73 caps he certainly has a good record, but if he wants to make his mark on the international arena he will have no better opportunity than this year in the form of his life, with Egypt 7/1 to emerge with the trophy.

Can he change that this month and drag Carlos Queiroz’s team to AFCON glory?

Forward: Riyad Mahrez – Algeria & Manchester City

Will the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations winning captain be lifting the trophy again?

Two-and-a-half-years ago, Riyāḍ Maḥrez scored three times at AFCON, including in the group phase and round of 16, as his side went all the way.

His third goal of this tournament will never be forgotten but those lucky enough to be at the Cairo International Stadium or the millions watching worldwide.

It’s the 95th minute of their semi-final with Nigeria and the scores are locked at 1-1.

But, with what turned out to be the last kick of the night, Maḥrez wallops a free-kick into the top right-hand corner to win the tie for his team.

Overall, the winger now has 26 goals for Algeria, including eight in 2021, but none will ever match that for excitement and drama.

As well as helping The Desert Foxes win their first trophy for 29 years, he was also involved in the biggest fairytale in sporting history, starring for Leicester as they won the Premier League in 2015/16 and has since gone on to add two more league titles, three Carabao Cups, an FA Cup and an FA Community Shield to his collection with Manchester City.

The 30 year old is one of the best forwards in world football and there’s still plenty of talent left in him yet.

Centre-forward: Sébastien Haller – Ivory Coast & Ajax

Sébastien Haller’s enjoyed a renaissance in the last 12 months or so; can he cap it off with some international silverware?

The striker joined West Ham United from Eintracht Frankfurt for £45 million in 2019 but was deemed a flop, scoring just 14 goals in claret and blue, before leaving for Ajax where he has scored 35 goals in just 47 appearances, winning the Eredivisie and KNVB Cup last season.

This year, staggeringly, he netted in all six Champions League group games, including four away to Sporting CP, accumulating 10 goals overall breaking the previous record for quickest to that mark set by Erling Braut Håland.

At international level, Haller has 51 caps for France at youth level, but in 2020, Haller switched allegiance to Ivory Coast, making his debut in the qualification win over Madagascar in November of that year.

Overall, he has just eight caps but already has three goals, scoring the winner on debut and a brace against Cameroon in a World Cup qualifier in September.

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