The Top Premier League Stars Playing at AFCON
In just a few days, we will be graced again with footballing talents in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations or AFCON 2023. On January 13, the continental competition will commence again, and we will see familiar and new faces from the Premier League playing for their national squads.
The Totalenergies Africa Cup of Nations may have disrupted the European fixtures, but it is certain that clubs will have enough players to send to the African competition. Here are the Premier League players who were sent to AFCON to play for their national teams.
Sadio Mané (Senegal)
Sadio Mane is the pride of the Senegal team, being instrumental in the squad’s numerous victories, including their momentous win over Egypt in last year’s edition of the competition. He was the hailed man of the match, and he was determined to defend their championship title.
Mane left European football to play for the Saudi Pro League last summer; however, he lost touch following the transfer. However, his international football career continues to thrive at Totalenergies Africa Cup of Nations.
Serhou Guirassy (Guinea)
Guirassy nursed a thigh injury in the friendly match of his team, Guinea, against Nigeria. Concerns about the player arose when he left the field for a while, which also caused a few doubts among fans if he would be able to leave with his team for the Totalenergies Africa Cup of Nations.
Issa Kabore (Burkina Faso)
Ever since Kabore became a member of the Manchester City squad in 2020, he never had a taste of being part of the first XI. However, if he showcases an impressive performance for his loan gig at the freshly promoted Luton Town, coach Pep Guardiola may ultimately put him on the front line.
Azzedine Ounahi (Morocco)
During the 2022 World Cup, he and his Moroccan squad had a thriving campaign and made a historic feat when they finished in fourth spot and became both the first African and Arab country to play in the semi-finals of a World Cup. Once again, he is set to make his country proud when he represents Morocco at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Mohamed Salah (Egypt)
Salah left his Premier League club, Liverpool, to their own devices in the semi-finals of the 2023/24 Carabao Cup. Meanwhile, he will once again be one of the stars of the Africa Cup of Nations.
Last year, he played against his former Liverpool teammate Sadio Mane during the finals of the Afcon. However, the championship title was ultimately snatched by Mane’s squad, Senegal.
Vincent Aboubakar (Cameroon)
The striker of the Turkish team, Besiktas, has been carrying the whole of Cameroon for many years now, and he will once again be the face of the Indomitable Lions. He was the team captain and the prolific goalscorer of the squad, and his previous performances were evident in his untarnished skills on the pitch.
Sébastien Haller (Côte d’Ivoire)
The Africa Cup of Nations will be set in the beautiful country of Ivory Coast this year, and for Sebastian Haller, there is no better feeling than playing the game in his home nation. He will represent the host nation’s team at the Totalenergies Africa Cup of Nations.
Sebastian Haller has improved over time, and he was offered a rare opportunity to make his goal of having an iconic performance at the biggest footballing event in Africa a reality.
Ola Aina (Nigeria)
Aina began his professional footballing career at Chelsea; however, he decided to transfer to Torino FC in 2019. While on loan at Fulham, he experienced relegation in the 2020-21 season of the English topflight.
This season, he hoped for the best in his performance representing both Nottingham Forest and Nigeria.
Mohammed Kudus (Ghana)
West Ham did not waste their money when they snatched Kudud Durian during the summer transfer season, as several top clubs from Europe have been vying to get him these past few years. However, David Moyes’s team has to endure the season without him because he will be the main in his international squad at the Totalenergies Africa Cup of Nations.
Peter Shalulile (Namibia)
Winning the Africa Cup of Nations will be the creme de la creme of Peter Shalulile’s career, so we have huge expectations from him. Shalulile is enjoying recent success in the very first African Football League season, plus he is currently an instrumental member of the African team.
Conclusion
The Africa Cup of Nations is an annual footballing spectacle that involves the top national squads of the continent of Africa. Due to the conflict in the schedule between European club tournaments and the AFCON, only the players who are part of an African team will be sent to the tournament. Ultimately, the Totalenergies Africa Cup of Nations is set to be one of the biggest footballing events this year.
