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The CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) gets nether mode connected Sunday, with the big federation Morocco facing Comoros successful Group A astatine Rabat’s Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.
Across the 4 weeklong continental showpiece, immoderate of the game’s biggest names volition instrumentality centre stage.
Here’s a look astatine our top-10 players who are acceptable to airy up the competition:
⚽ Mohamed Salah (Egypt)
Arguably the biggest African shot prima of his generation, Mohamed Salah heads into the tourney hoping to pb Egypt to a record-extending eighth title. But the 33-year-old arrives short of his accustomed standards: helium has scored conscionable 5 goals successful 20 matches crossed each competitions this play and has slipped down the pecking bid nether Liverpool’s caller manager, Arne Slot.
Yet Salah’s value to Egypt has ne'er been successful doubt. The two-time African Footballer of the Year remains their talisman, and his 9 goals successful the CAF World Cup qualifying signifier were important successful securing a spot astatine adjacent summer’s World Cup.
At AFCON, Salah volition beryllium chasing some redemption and a instrumentality to the red-hot signifier that earned him the nickname “the Egyptian King”.
Mohamed Salah, who has struggled for signifier astatine Liverpool, has raised doubts implicit whether helium volition play for the nine again aft AFCON [File: Amr Nabil/AP]⚽ Achraf Hakimi (Morocco)
Fresh disconnected the precocious of being crowned African footballer of the year, Achraf Hakimi headlines the formed of prima location federation players acceptable to instrumentality the tract successful Morocco.
The 27-year-old, wide regarded arsenic 1 of the champion right-backs successful the world, was instrumental successful PSG’s treble-winning campaign, capped disconnected by their long-awaited UEFA Champions League triumph successful May.
As Morocco’s captain, Hakimi carries the hopes of millions successful the football-mad country. Morocco’s Atlas Lions volition look to him not lone for his antiaircraft stableness but besides for his playmaking spark arsenic they pursuit lone the 2nd AFCON rubric successful their past – 50 years aft their maiden crown.
There had been concerns implicit Achraf Hakimi’s availability for AFCON owed to an ankle injury, but Morocco’s caput coach, Walid Regragui, is optimistic the full-back volition retrieve successful clip to play [File: Aurelien Morissard/AP]⚽ Victor Osimhen (Nigeria)
Still recovering from the heartbreak of missing out connected the 2026 World Cup, Victor Osimhen volition look for solace and vindication astatine the continental championship.
The Galatasaray forward, known for his trademark look mask, has been successful prolific signifier this play with 12 goals successful 16 matches crossed each competitions, including six successful the Champions League.
Despite sitting 2nd connected Nigeria’s all-time scorers list, Osimhen has struggled to construe that dominance to large tournaments: helium has recovered the nett lone once, astatine the erstwhile AFCON successful 2023 erstwhile the Super Eagles reached the final. This variation offers him a accidental to alteration that narrative.
Victor Osimhen, pictured, and his Nigeria teammates are hurting aft different unsuccessful World Cup qualifying run with the quickest way to redemption being an AFCON rubric [File: Luc Gnago/Reuters]⚽ Bryan Mbeumo (Cameroon)
Rediscovering his scoring touch, prima guardant Bryan Mbeumo could play a important relation successful Cameroon’s run arsenic they statesman a caller section nether a caller manager pursuing their nonaccomplishment to suffice for the World Cup.
With 7 goals crossed each competitions, Mbeumo has been Manchester United’s standout performer successful an different mixed and chaotic play for the Red Devils.
An wounded kept Mbeumo retired of the erstwhile AFCON, but this time, the 26-year-old has a aureate accidental to clinch his archetypal trophy with Cameroon.
The task, however, volition not beryllium straightforward. With seasoned striker Vincent Aboubakar amazingly near retired of the squad, Mbeumo inherits the dual work of starring the enactment and captaining the team.
Cameroon guardant Bryan Mbeumo has been Manchester United’s highest scorer this play [File: Gregory Bull/AP]⚽ Wilfried Zaha (Ivory Coast)
An awesome indebtedness spell with Charlotte successful Major League Soccer (MLS) has earned Wilfried Zaha a astonishment callback to the nationalist squad for the archetypal clip successful 2 years.
The 33-year-old winger was omitted from the squad that won AFCON 2023, but his instrumentality to form, marked by 10 goals and 10 assists this season, proved excessively compelling to ignore.
Zaha’s years of experience, quality to instrumentality connected defenders and existent sharpness should supply a timely boost to the reigning champions’ aspirations of defending their AFCON rubric successful Morocco.
Wilfried Zaha won 2 caps for England earlier switching planetary allegiance to the Ivory Coast [File: Nell Redmond/AP]⚽ Sadio Mane (Senegal)
Sadio Mane erstwhile dominated headlines with his exploits successful Europe for clubs specified arsenic Liverpool and Bayern Munich, but his determination to Al Nassr successful the Saudi Pro League has shifted overmuch of the media spotlight distant from him.
Yet the 33-year-old, wide regarded arsenic 1 of Africa’s top players, remains a decisive fig for Senegal: his 5 goals successful CAF World Cup qualifying were the astir by immoderate Senegalese player.
In Morocco, Mane volition purpose to replicate the signifier that earned him subordinate of the tourney honours astatine AFCON 2021 erstwhile the winger guided the Teranga Lions to their archetypal continental title.
Senegal’s Sadio Mane has 12 extremity involvements successful 17 matches for Al Nassr this play [File: Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP]⚽ Iliman Ndiaye (Senegal)
With six extremity involvements successful the Premier League, Iliman Ndiaye has been 1 of Everton’s astir reliable players successful the Premier League this season, and the 25-year-old volition anticipation to bring that affirmative power to Senegal’s attack.
The midfielder, known for his dribbling and finishing, has enjoyed a accelerated ascent successful caller years, moving from England’s second-tier league successful 2023 to being a cardinal contributor for the Toffees arsenic they adjacent successful connected a top-six spot successful the top-flight.
On the planetary stage, Ndiaye has been an integral portion of Senegal’s setup for the past 3 years, and helium volition look to marque his people astatine his 3rd AFCON appearance.
Iliman Ndiaye is simply a cardinal portion of Everton’s onslaught and volition anticipation to transportation his signifier into AFCON for Senegal [File: Phil Noble/Reuters]⚽ Carlos Baleba (Cameroon)
Unlike galore of the tournament’s large names, Carlos Baleba arrives astatine AFCON without immoderate major-tournament experience, yet the 21-year-old has already produced performances that belie his age.
The versatile youngster has go a driving unit successful Premier League broadside Brighton’s antiaircraft midfield and was instrumental successful Cameroon’s flawless qualification for AFCON 2025.
Renowned for his stamina, dribbling and passing range, Baleba is erstwhile again attracting involvement from large European clubs earlier a imaginable big-money determination successful January’s transportation window.
Youngster Carlos Baleba has established himself arsenic a midfield powerhouse for Brighton and Cameroon [File: Dave Shopland/AP]⚽ Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon)
Once a leader for Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang present plies his commercialized astatine Marseille – and this year’s AFCON whitethorn correspond his last changeable astatine glory with Gabon.
At 36 and successful the twilight of his career, the guardant continues to enarthrosis the hopes of the tiny cardinal African federation that has ne'er precocious beyond the quarterfinals.
French-born Aubameyang, who won African Footballer of the Year a decennary ago, has been the focal constituent of Gabon’s onslaught ever since his debut successful 2009.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is Gabon’s all-time starring scorer with 39 goals [File: Brian Inganga/AP]⚽ Mohamed Amoura (Algeria)
Mohamed Amoura is acceptable to beryllium a cardinal fig successful Algeria’s AFCON 2025 campaign.
Amoura was Africa’s starring scorer successful World Cup 2026 qualification, outpacing adjacent Egyptian fable Salah with a chart-topping 10 goals.
The 25-year-old striker has carried that objective signifier into nine shot with Bundesliga broadside Wolfsburg, registering six goals and 2 assists successful 15 appearances.
After lifting the African trophy successful 2019, the Desert Foxes endured achy first-round exits successful the 2 editions that followed, making this tourney an accidental to rewrite their caller history. At AFCON 2025, Algeria volition spell arsenic acold arsenic Amoura tin instrumentality them arsenic they effort to triumph a 3rd crown.
Striker Mohamed Amoura stole the limelight during the CAF World Cup qualifying [Fateh Guidoum/AP]
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