AFCON will get underway tonight as hosts Morocco tackle Comoros on the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat. Of all of the leagues most affected by the month-long African event, Serie A is tied sixth, with a complete of 21 gamers heading south-west from Italy to North Africa.
Of these concerned, we’ve chosen 5 of the very best that might play a promising position at 2025’s showpiece.
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Ebenezer Akinsanmiro – Pisa and Nigeria
Ebenezer Akinsanmiro kicks off this listing as an intriguing prospect for Nigeria. The 21-year-old Inter loanee will little question be hoping for a little bit of a break from second-bottom Pisa, and because the Tremendous Eagles intention to rebuild from 2023’s last defeat to Cote d’Ivoire, it may come as a priceless reinjection of confidence.
Pisa’s document this season has made for grim sufficient studying, because the Torri have conceded 22 objectives in 16 Serie A video games. Nonetheless, with midfielder Akinsanmiro choosing up his debut underneath Eric Chelle earlier this month in opposition to Egypt, he may return with a raft of priceless expertise for the second half of the season.
Neil El Aynaoui – AS Roma and Morocco
Twenty-four-year-old Roma midfielder Neil El Aynaoui solely bought the primary of his six caps in September, however steadily hints at changing into a daily within the centre of the park for Morocco.
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The French-born Neil is the son of former skilled Tennis participant Younes El Aynaoui, and bought his begin in soccer with hometown membership Nancy in 2018.
He then moved on to Lens in 2023, and significantly impressed within the second of two Ligue 1 seasons with eight objectives in 23 video games, warranting Roma to swoop in and signal the playmaker for €23.5 million this summer time. He takes to the pitch with Morocco this December with hopes that his father’s nation can win their first AFCON title since their solely earlier triumph in 1976.
Confidence is excessive after the Atlas Lions turned the primary African nation to succeed in a FIFA World Cup semifinal at Qatar 2022.
Evan Ndicka – AS Roma and Cote d’Ivoire
One other French-born expertise, Evan Ndicka has been a constant a part of Cote d’Ivoire’s worldwide core since his debut within the victorious AFCON 12 months of 2023.
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Much like his Giallorossi teammate El Aynaoui, the 26-year-old Parisian will participate in a facet which are additionally excessive on confidence, because the Elephants arrive as holders. Intriguingly, Ndicka was born within the French capital to a Cameroonian father and an Ivorian mom, and after representing his nation of start from U16 to U21 stage, it appears to be like just like the towering centre-back made the appropriate worldwide alternative.
The 6 ft 4 former Auxerre and Eintracht Frankfurt man not solely has the prospect so as to add to his 23 appearances in orange, a strong event may assist Cote d’Ivoire to their first-ever consecutive AFCON titles.
Odilon Kossounou – Atalanta and Cote d’Ivoire
Following Ndicka, is his accomplice within the centre of the Cote d’Ivoire backline, Atalanta’s Odilon Koussounou. The 24-year-old Abidjan native is one more a part of 2023’s squad that toppled Nigeria for his or her first AFCON crown since 2015’s victory in Equatorial Guinea. At 6 ft 3, he additionally arrives as one other huge, athletic presence on the again for Emerse Fae’s staff.
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Kossounou is a participant who actually burst onto each the worldwide and membership scenes. A product of the world-renowned ASEC Mimosas academy (the exact same that developed Didier Zokora, Emmanuel Eboue, Gervinho, and Salomon Kalou, in addition to each Kolo and Yaya Toure), Kossounou’s senior profession took form with a quick teenage stint at Hammarby in Sweden, earlier than he moved to Belgium with Membership Brugge.
There, he immediately proved his value and helped safe two league titles and a Tremendous Cup, earlier than becoming a member of Bayer Leverkusen within the Bundesliga in 2021. After an unprecedented treble capped three seasons with Die Werkself, he now plies his commerce with Atalanta following an preliminary mortgage spell in 2024–25.
Ademola Lookman – Atalanta and Nigeria
Nearly taking the highest spot on this listing is Atalanta and Nigeria star Ademola Lookman. Though it’s truthful to say that La Dea’s speedster has struggled up to now in 2025-26, with simply two objectives in 11 Serie A outings, he may play an enormous position as he hyperlinks again up with Tremendous Eagles teammates Osimhen and co. as they search retribution for 2023’s 2-1 last defeat in Abidjan.
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The English-born 28-year-old notched 20 objectives in 40 all-competition matches in 2024-25, together with 15 objectives in Serie A, and 5 in seven Champions League matches.
That premier European marketing campaign, in fact, adopted the victorious Europa League run in 2023-24. If Lookman can faucet again into the type of kind that noticed him blast dwelling a decisive hat-trick in opposition to Bayer Leverkusen in Dublin’s last, then Nigeria could add their fourth AFCON title to the trophy cupboard.
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