It’s been an incredibly exciting Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) thus far with a tournament-high 52 goals scored in the group stage.
Although many of the continent’s biggest names have failed to sparkle in Gabon, lesser known players seem to be taking their opportunity with both arms.
Following the conclusion of the group stages, here are the top three players who have made their mark in the competition so far.
- Christian Bassogog (Cameroon)
The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon were written off prior to the tournament opener after several big-name players refused call-ups to Hugo Broos’s squad. However, his young side stunned everyone by qualifying for the last eight at the expense of host Gabon. One of their most impressive performers has been 21-year-old Christian Bassogog, a winger with Danish side, Aalborg, who formerly played in the United States. Bassogog has been something of a surprise star for his country, showcasing superb skills from the flanks – notably was how he set up Michael Ngadeu for the all-important winner against Guinea-Bissau. Broos will definitely be hoping the youngster can continue his incredible form when they face Senegal on Saturday.
- Essam El Hadary (Egypt)
Egypt’s Essam El Hadary made history when he stepped onto the pitch for injured first choice goalkeeper, Ahmed El-Shenawy, in the 25th minute against Mali. At 44, El-Hadary thus becomes the oldest player to feature in the competition smashing the record held by compatriot, Hossam Hassan, who was 39 in 2006. After the stalemate with the Eagles, the veteran kept his place in the other two fixtures against Uganda and Ghana. In all three games played, El-Hadary was unbeaten – making him the only keeper in the competition to achieve that feat. The four-time champion with 150 caps will be hoping to continue that run Morocco in the last eight on Sunday.
- Junior Kabananga (DR Congo)
DR Congo qualified as top of a group that had defending champions, Cote d’Ivoire, Emmanuel Adebayor’s Togo and Morocco. The Leopards were simply spectacular dropping just two points en route to the last eight with Junior Kabananga leading the line for the Central Africans. Kabananga scored in all three group games making him the tournament’s top scorer ahead of Liverpool’s Sadio Mane and already eliminated Islam Slimani, Riyad Mahrez, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The 27-year-old who plays for Kazakh side, Astana, will definitely be a huge asset to any English Premier League team considering his physical attributes, skills and pace. He comes up against Ghana in the quarter-finals on Sunday.
