Stars to Watch at AFCON 2025: Players Ready to Shine

In Summary:

• AFCON 2025 features a mix of established stars and rising talents whose form, experience and tactical impact could shape team success and tournament narratives.
• Players like Mohamed Salah, Victor Osimhen and Achraf Hakimi are central to their nations’ strategies and carry significant attacking and defensive influence.
• Emerging influencers such as Percy Tau, Teboho Mokoena and Sofyan Amrabat add creative balance and depth, highlighting Africa’s evolving football talent pool.

Deep Dive!!

Saturday. 20 December 2025– The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 in Morocco (21 December 2025 – 18 January 2026) is set to showcase some of the continent’s brightest football talent. As national teams finalise their rosters, analysts and fans alike are pinpointing individual players whose skills, form and potential impact could shape their teams’ fortunes. From established superstars to rising icons, this year’s tournament promises a rich blend of experience, pace, creativity and goal-scoring prowess. Drawing on recent performance data and expert reporting, this preview highlights the standout stars most likely to dazzle on football’s biggest African stage.

These players bring not just individual brilliance but also strategic importance to their teams. Their presence affects tactical plans, influences fan expectations and often attracts global attention to AFCON’s broader narratives. Whether leading the line, orchestrating play, or anchoring defence and midfield, each of the athletes discussed here embodies a story of excellence, potential impact and legacy-building opportunity in one of football’s most passionate tournaments.

10. Sofyan Amrabat

Completing the list is midfielder Sofyan Amrabat, whose robust box-to-box play and defensive discipline give Morocco control in central areas. With elite experience in top European leagues and previous AFCON campaigns, Amrabat blends stamina, tackling precision and ball retention, a key elements in controlling tournament matches and sustaining tactical balance.

Amrabat’s role extends beyond statistics: his presence provides coaching continuity, helps manage game tempo and supports attacking transitions. For hosts Morocco, whose tactical blueprint involves disciplined buildup and rapid counter play, his influence is central, making him a standout player to watch as the tournament unfolds.

9. Teboho Mokoena

Midfielder Teboho Mokoena represents South Africa’s growing depth in creative midfield talent. With a keen sense for ball recovery and progressive passes, Mokoena bridges defence and attack with efficiency. His vision and movement off the ball help South Africa retain possession and shape counter-attacks in slower phases of play.

Mokoena’s ascendancy in the national team underscores a generation shift where younger players combine technical ingenuity with tactical intelligence. In a tournament where possession metrics and transition speed matter, his contributions provide South Africa with an adaptable midfield profile capable of matching diverse African opponents.

8. Thomas Partey

For Ghana, midfielder Thomas Partey remains a cornerstone of both defensive solidity and offensive transition. His tactical balance stabilises Ghana’s midfield and gives them control through possession. Partey’s presence allows Ghana to control tempo, break opposition lines, and initiate attacking sequences from deeper positions.

Partey’s experience in elite European competition equips Ghana with a player who understands both international and club-level tactical demands. His leadership and calm in pressure situations make him a barometer for Ghana’s resilience in tight matches, particularly in knockout scenarios where single moments often define outcomes.

7. Percy Tau

Playmaker Percy Tau brings technical intelligence and creative vision to South Africa’s midfield and attacking nexus. Known for incisive passes and spatial awareness, Tau’s ability to unlock defences with key passes makes him central to South African tactics. In recent seasons with club and national team engagements, Tau has been prolific in generating chances and contributing direct goal involvements.

As opponents tighten defensive lines in AFCON, players like Tau, who combine creativity with adaptability, gain importance. His vision and transitional play can help South Africa punch above expectations in group stages and beyond, particularly against teams focused on physical territory control rather than expansive football.

6. Islam Slimani

Veteran striker Islam Slimani headlines Algeria’s forward options, offering a mix of aerial dominance, positional intelligence and seasoned finishing. Slimani’s career, spanning top European leagues and continental competitions, has established him as one of Africa’s most consistent goal threats, especially in set-piece scenarios and transitional play. His presence gives Algeria structure in attack and helps create chances in crowded penalty areas.

For Algeria, Slimani’s influence extends beyond scoring: his mentorship of younger attackers and ability to hold up play under pressure adds tactical diversity. Against robust African defences, his presence improves Algeria’s ability to retain possession and shape attacks, making him a player whose performance could decisively define match outcomes and progression.

5. Achraf Hakimi

Hosts Morocco’s Achraf Hakimicombines elite defensive reading with forward thrust, making him one of the tournament’s most dynamic defenders. Known for blistering pace and ball progression from the back, Hakimi has been pivotal in Paris Saint-Germain’s defensive rotations and attacking transitions. His ability to contribute crosses, recover possession, and shift play tactically makes him vital in Morocco’s plans, particularly in tight group fixtures where both offensive support and defensive stability are essential.

As one of Africa’s most decorated defenders, Hakimi brings a blend of experience and adaptability. In a packed schedule where matches against diverse tactical styles abound, his leadership and consistency will be crucial. Morocco’s campaign rides in part on their ability to balance Hakimi’s defensive duties with ball progression, and analysts globally view his involvement as a key indicator of Moroccan performance.

4. Sadio Mané

For Senegal,much attention turns to veteran forward Sadio Mané, a player whose athleticism and tactical intelligence have distinguished him across domestic and international competitions. Despite missing some AFCON qualifiers due to injury, Mané’s return to full fitness ahead of the tournament gives Senegal additional attacking depth and experience. His ability to drop deep, create overloads, and finish in the box makes him a versatile attacking option.

Mané’s leadership complements Senegal’s broader tactical framework, helping younger attackers and midfielders integrate into high-pressure matches. As a seasoned international with Champions League and league honours, his presence lifts collective confidence and allows coach Pape Thiaw to deploy tactical systems that maximise both control and transition speed.

3. Victor Osimhen

Despite Nigeria’s shock failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, striker Victor Osimhen remains one of Africa’s most formidable attackers and a player with potential to define AFCON 2025. In club football, Osimhen’s finishing ability at Galatasaray has drawn global attention, with consistent goal returns in both league and continental competition. His physical presence, pace and tactical movement make him difficult for defenders to contain.

Nigeria’s qualification journey was marked by an over-reliance on Osimhen; he scored eight goals in qualifiers before missing games through injury. Although the Super Eagles’ campaign ended in disappointment, Osimhen’s quality remains undiminished, and his leadership could be crucial in group play. Opponents will need tailored defensive plans to neutralise his threat, making him a focal point of tactical analysis throughout AFCON.

2. Mohamed Salah

At the heart of Egypt’s attacking ambitions in AFCON 2025 is Mohamed Salah, the Liverpool forward whose combination of speed, technical skill and goal-scoring prowess consistently troubles defences. Salah enters the tournament as one of Africa’s most decorated modern players, with numerous Premier League and Champions League highlights to his name. His leadership and creativity are central to Egypt’s tactical build-up play and capacity to unlock tight defences.

Beyond pedigree, Salah’s form entering the tournament has analysts optimistic. He remains among the top scorers and chance creators in European competition leading into late 2025, and his ability to influence games from both wide positions and central attacking zones provides Egypt with tactical flexibility. Should Egypt progress deep, Salah’s experience and clutch performances will be vital to their championship aspirations.

1. Bryan Mbeumo

Bryan Mbeumo has emerged as one of Africa’s most compelling attacking talents heading into AFCON 2025, bringing pace, skill and versatility to Cameroon’s forward line. Born in France to Cameroonian heritage, Mbeumo chose to represent the Indomitable Lions in 2022 and quickly became a key contributor, blending his club form with international ambition. At Brentford in the English Premier League, his technical sharpness in front of goal and ability to create chances for teammates have made him a standout performer, and those traits translate well to the faster, space-oriented play often seen in African international football.

Despite Cameroon’s failure to qualify automatically, ultimately losing to DR Congo in the CAF play-offs, Mbeumo’s individual profile remains significant. His adaptability across the front three allows coach Marc Brys to deploy him either as a direct goal threat cutting in from the flank or as a central support forward partnering more traditional strikers. Mbeumo’s experience in one of Europe’s top leagues, combined with his speed and spatial awareness, make him one of the players opposition defenders must plan for intensely. His absence from the 2026 World Cup cycle, tied to Cameroon’s qualification miss, only heightens the importance of AFCON 2025 as a stage where he can cement his international legacy and showcase the blend of athleticism and tactical nuance that defines modern African attackers.

AFCON 2025 showcases both continental experience and rising talent, with players whose reputations span global leagues and local dream narratives. As teams compete for glory in Morocco, these stars will not just score goals, they will define moments, shape tactical plays and inspire millions of fans across Africa and beyond. Their performances will not only sway results but will also influence future markets, global perception of African football talent, and the ongoing evolution of the Africa Cup of Nations as a showcase of world-class competition.

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