Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Dennis Erezi
Published on 2024-01-26 11:00:13
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) recently announced the group stage best XI of the 2023 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Ivory Coast, and surprisingly, no Nigerian players were included in the list.
Even Victor Osimhen, the reigning African footballer of the year, who had an exceptional 2023 with Napoli and the Super Eagles, did not make the cut. This may not come as a shock to many, as Osimhen, despite being named Man of the Match in the Super Eagles’ 1-0 win over AFCON 2023 host nation, Cote d’Ivoire, has only managed to score one goal in three matches and has been underwhelming overall.
Despite his impressive 31 goals in 39 matches for Napoli last season and ten goals in the AFCON 2023 qualifiers, Osimhen has unfortunately failed to convert clear-cut chances in Ivory Coast. As a result, he did not earn a spot on the best XI list.
The group stage best XI of the 2023 AFCON is dominated by Morocco and Senegal, with Morocco contributing four players, Senegal with three, Equatorial Guinea with two, and DR Congo and Angola with one each.
Notably, Equatorial Guinea’s Jesus Owono, the goalkeeper of the AFCON 2023 group stage best XI, played a crucial role in preventing goals and led his country to the top of Group A.
Achraf Hakimi, a consistent member of Morocco’s starting line-up in the tournament, showcased his skills as a right-back, contributing 147 successful passes with an 88% pass completion rate. He also created nine chances, the most of any player in the group stages, and contributed one assist and scored a goal.
The two central defenders, Kalidou Koulibaly of Senegal and Nayef Aguerd of Morocco, along with left-back Arthur Masuaku of DR Congo, formed the defensive line in the best XI.
Morocco’s Sofyan Amrabat and Azzedine Ounahi, along with Senegal’s Lamine Camara, made up the three-man midfield in the 4-3-3 formation.
The attacking trio consisted of Angola winger Gelson Dala, Equatorial Guinea striker Emilio Nsue, who is the leading scorer with five goals, and Senegal forward Ismaila Sarr. These players were recognized for their outstanding performance in the group stage of the 2023 AFCON.
Read the original article on The Guardian
