Star Footballers in Egyptian and South African Premier Leagues

Domestic leagues in Africa have been on a roll, raking in wide recognition and credibility in the process. The African Super League, created by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), has further boosted its competitiveness, drawing attention to homegrown talent and attracting international sponsors. This surge in quality benefits local clubs and encourages talented players to stay longer in their home leagues, enriching the local football scene. 

The continent’s presence on the international stage is stronger than ever. Through the expanded FIFA World Cup slots and the African Nations Championship (CHAN), more African talent now have room to showcase their extraordinary skills. In this first part of a series, Sportblot catalogues some of players who are making waves in the Egyptian Premier League and the South African Premiership

1. Taher Mohamed (Egypt) – Egyptian Premier League

Credit: Ysscores

Here is the player who set records by scoring the fastest goal in the history of the Egyptian Super Cup by scoring the Ceramica net at 11 seconds. Taher’s football journey began when he was eight years old. He has represented his country at various youth levels, including scoring a vital goal in his team's qualification for the 2019 U23 African Cup of Nations and playing a part in the 2020 Olympic squad.

 The attacker currently plays for Al Ahly and has appeared in several of their Premier League games in 2020/2021, making 19 appearances overall and playing 911 minutes. He has been selected in the starting XI in 11 of these appearances across their 23 fixtures and come on as a substitute on eight occasions.

Before moving to Al Ahly in November 2020 for a reported fee of 40m Egyptian pounds (€740,000), Taher made 32 league appearances in total at the Egyptian club, Al Mokawloon. There, he played 15 Premier League games last season for Al Mokawloon, scored three goals and provided two assists.

Taher last featured in a Premier League game on July 8, playing 82 minutes for Al Ahly against Al Mokawloon in a 2-0 success. In total, he has notched two Premier League goals in 2020/2021, and provided two assists. He has been booked once.

2. Ahmed Elsayed Ali Elsayed Hegazy (Egypt) – Egyptian Premier League

Photo: Saudi Professional League

Born in Ismailia, Egypt on January 25, 1991, Ahmed Elsayed Ali Elsayed Hegazy started his senior football career in 2009 with the club of Ismaily. He played three seasons and 28 games. He has played in the Al-Ittihad football club and Egypt national football team.

The Centre-back played for the national side at Egypt U20, U23, and Egypt national football team levels. After, on September 3 2011, he made his first appearance for the national side.

In 2015, he joined the Egyptian club Al Ahly SC for five years. His presence at the back for Al Ahly has helped the club dominate Egyptian football, both in the league and in African competitions. His leadership, aerial ability, and tactical intelligence contributed greatly to Al Ahly’s dominance in the Egyptian Premier League, and his leadership qualities make him a standout player in a league filled with great talent.

More recently, in 2021, Hegazy signed with Al-Ittihad Alexandria Club in Egypt, returning to the Egyptian Premier League where he continued his career, demonstrating the defensive reliability and leadership that he has long been known for.

2. Mostafa El Aash (Egypt) – Egyptian Premier League

This center-back made his professional debut in the Egyptian Premier League at a young age. His dribbling skills, creativity, and ability to deliver precise passes quickly made him a fan favorite. Over the years, El Aash has come to be known for his ability to change the course of a game with a moment of brilliance, whether it's a well-timed assist or a stunning goal.

The defender is currently on loan deal to Cairo giants Ahly from ZED FC until the end of the season. One of the standout qualities of El Aash is his versatility. He is equally effective playing centrally as an attacking midfielder or on the flanks as a winger.

The 24-year-old brings versatility to Ahly’s defense, capable of playing both as a center-back and a left-back. His adaptability allows coaches to deploy him in various roles depending on the team's needs, making him an indispensable part of any squad.

He has made nine league appearances for ZED FC this season, including a recent match against Pyramids FC.

With 96 Egyptian Premier League appearances to his name, representing Ghazl El-Mahalla and ZED FC, El-Esh has also scored one goal, netting against Masry during the 2022-23 campaign.

He could make his Ahly debut in their upcoming league clash against Pyramids FC on Sunday.

4. Iqraam Rayners (South Africa) – South African Premier Division

Renowned as one of the deadliest finishers in the PSL, Iqraam Rayners has wasted no time asserting his presence at Sundowns. In the 2024/25 season, he scored 13 goals, and delivered one assist

The former Stellenbosch FC striker has been clinical in front of goal, netting 13 goals across all competitions so far (pre-Champions League group stage goals not included). With his lethal instincts and sharp movement, Rayners has become the first-choice striker ahead of Peter Shalulile and Arthur Sales - who has been described as a "Fisherman". 

He is poised to be a serious contender for the Golden Boot having netted six times in 10 league matches, taking the lead in the race for gold. Even though the Bafana forward fired blanks in the last two games, he did score in five games on the spin before that, which is why he leads this race.

Last game: Played full match against Raja Casablanca - did not score.

5. Relebohile Mofokeng (South Africa) – South African Premier Division

Photo: BackpagePix

Freshly emerged from his teenage years, Relebohile Mofokeng has quickly established himself as the torchbearer for South Africa’s young talent. He has so far into this season scored six goals and provided eight assists to his teammates, remaining a linchpin in Jose Riveiro's tactical setup this season.

Mofokeng made his Bucs debut as a 17-year-old against Royal AM in May 2022. The hallmarks of that performance were flair, flamboyance and unpredictability. Since then, however, his game has been refined and he’s now one of the first names on Jose Riveiro’s team sheet. 

The Orlando Pirates forward has started four consecutive matches across all competitions after an impressive cameo off the bench on the opening day in the Bucs’ defeat to Stellies. The teenager is a playmaker by trade, but has been thriving on the left-hand side of the Bucs attack to accommodate Patrick Maswanganyi in the “number 10” role.

With four assists and two goals in the PSL, Mofokeng has played a pivotal role in helping the Buccaneers maintain the pace in the race with Sundowns. In his last match, he played 90 minutes against Cape Town City but failed to score.

His influence extended to the MTN8 as well, where he notched up two goals and two assists, proving himself as one of the league's most exciting young stars. Mofokeng scored in the last two games for Pirates, helping the club beat Magesi - where he got his first-ever Man of the Match award - and Stade d'Abidjan.

6. Lucas Ribeiro (South Africa) – South African Premier Division

Born on the 9th of October 1998 in Santa Helena, Brazil, this talented Brazilian forward signed for Mamelodi Sundowns on July 6 2023. So far this season, he has played the majority of his games on the right wing, featuring in that position eight times, where he registered four goals and eight assists.

Lucas Ribeiro’s name is being closely linked with Bafana Bafana, with the Brazilian forward declaring his willingness to represent South Africa at international level.

The Sundowns No.10 has been nothing short of spectacular this season, carrying the team in the absence of key playmaker Themba Zwane. After winning the Betway Premiership Player of the Month for September and October, Lucas Ribeiro Costa has made waves once again, proving why he is one of the best players currently in the top flight of South African football.

He’s currently the PSL’s most productive player, with an impressive eight-goal contributions to his name, and sits one goal behind teammate Rayners in the PSL goal scorer's chart.

Ribeiro’s performances have made him an indispensable part of the Sundowns attack, with his flair and creativity lighting up the field. It is worth noting that Ribeiro's performances did faint in recent games, which is why he has moved down in the rankings.

In the last match he featured in, Ribeiro was in the pitch for 78 minutes against Raja Casablanca but did not score any goal nor provided any assist.