5 players who could light up the AFCON
The African Cup of Nations (AFCON) is scheduled to kick off on January 9 and run until February 6, 2022. Once again, all eyes will be on our African superstars as they return to international duty to defend the pride of their respective nations.
The AFCON has never failed to produce a spark, with many players having seized the opportunity to announce themselves to the world in the tournament over the decades. This edition promises to go the same route as the football world calmly anticipates what promises to be an intense battle between African heavyweights.
⚽️🔴 Here is the plan to counter the pandemic in relation to the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations 2021 (AFCON 2021). Kick-off on 9 January 2022 at the Olembe Stadium in Yaounde
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It goes without saying that the fight for the ultimate prize will surely dominate the tournament. But the quest to outshine one another by top talents will also enjoy a fair share of attention. That has inspired us to come up with a list of five players who are likely to light up the AFCON in 2022. They are as follows:
#5 Achraf Hakimi
Achraf Hakimi is, without doubt, one of the players to keep an eye on in the AFCON tournament next year. The defender has taken his game to an incredible level over the last couple of seasons. He was highly influential as Inter Milan claimed the Serie A title last term, contributing seven goals and 10 assists in 37 appearances.
Thanks to that sensational outing, the right-back earned a big-money transfer worth €60 million to Paris Saint-Germain this summer. He's off to a brilliant start in the French capital, having recorded three goals and two assists to his name in 22 games across all competitions so far this season.
Achraf Hakimi's stats compared to Chelsea's alternate right sided full-backs of Cesar Azpilicueta & Reece James 🔥 https://t.co/mvSXw3MIxQ
Hakimi will be hoping to continue his incredible performances when he wears the Moroccan jersey in the AFCON. With his incredible level of performance at the moment, there's no doubt he has what it takes to make a mark in the tournament.
#4 Edouard Mendy
The goalkeeper became a huge sensation for Chelsea between the sticks last season, guiding the Blues to claim the coveted Champions League trophy. He kept nine clean sheets in 12 appearances in the Champions league last season, conceding just three goals. The 29-year-old has taken up from where he left off this term.
So far, he's kept 12 clean sheets for the Londoners in 23 games across all competitions. Mendy is currently among the finest goalkeepers in world football. It's only natural that all eyes will be on him when he guards the goalpost for Senegal in the AFCON next year.